Welcome to the NBA G League
June 20, 2017 - NBA G League (G League)
Texas Legends News Release
*NEW YORK*, June 20, 2017* - *The NBA and Gatorade announced that beginning today the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), the NBA's minor league, will officially become the NBA G League.
Beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will feature 26 teams, an expansion of four teams since last season, 22 of which are owned and operated by NBA franchises.
"This Gatorade partnership will greatly expand the opportunities and resources provided to our teams and players," said Legends President and General Manager Malcolm Farmer. "We are excited to be a part of this growth time and looking forward to tipping off the 2017-18 season."
For the first time this coming fall, NBA teams can sign up to two "two-way" players to NBA contracts. These contracts allow "two-way" players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.
The NBA G League has more than tripled in size since it debuted with eight teams during the 2001-02 season. Last season, nearly 1.5 million fans attended games, marking the eighth straight year the league has surpassed 1 million fans.
For the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will unveil new on-court uniforms and collaborate with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) on programs to enhance player sports performance and recovery. Gatorade will begin to incubate its latest product and equipment innovations into NBA G League locker rooms, and teams will have the opportunity to collaborate with Gatorade to help players maximize their athletic potential and on-court performance.
"This is a pivotal moment for the NBA G League," said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner. "The league is experiencing unprecedented success both on and off the court, and our partnership with Gatorade is helping to drive momentum and create exciting opportunities for innovation, sports performance and player development."
Forty-four percent of players on 2016-17 end-of-season NBA rosters had NBA G League experience, while 65 percent of players selected in NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm © spent time in the NBA G League last season, including more than half of the first-round picks.
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NBA G League Stories from June 20, 2017
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