It Takes 48
October 27, 2003 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. (October 27, 2003) â In addition to great professional basketball, National Basketball Development League games in 2003-04 are going to be chocked so full of All-American family fun that it will now take 48 minutes to get it all in.
NBDL President Phil Evans says that the NBDL's goal is to treat fans to fun-loving, high-scoring basketball. To that end, he announced today the league will play a 48-minute game beginning this season. NBDL games will now consist of four, 12-minute quarters, mirroring its parent league, the NBA.
Evans also announced that beginning in 2003-04, NBDL games will be played with the red, white and blue Spalding Infusion basketball.
"Longer quarters mean more opportunity to score points and make the game more exciting," Evans said. "The red, white and blue ball is a way to honor our country and also make the on-court action more appealing to our younger fans.
"Twelve-minute quarters afford players more playing time for increased development," Evans said. "In addition, we now have an additional break in the second and fourth quarters for more interactive, family-oriented promotions."
A sampling of affordable, family fun promotions for the upcoming season includes a visit from Nickelodeon star SpongeBob SquarePants at four NBDL arenas during the season. Also scheduled to make appearances are Scooby Doo, Spiderman and The Cat in the Hat at Super Heroes Saturday in March at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville.
An appearance by George "Iceman" Gervin, a nine-time NBA All-Star and former ABA Virginia Squire, will highlight "Retro Weekend" in Roanoke in February. Other big nights include bobble head and headband giveaways in Columbus, as well as numerous "Basketball Extravaganzas" featuring double or triple-headers with local high school or college teams in NBDL markets.
High-flying and lovable NBA mascots such as the Atlanta Hawks' SkyHawk and the Philadelphia 76ers' Hip Hop will be making appearances in Columbus and Roanoke, respectively. The NBDL's own high flyer, Sergeant Slam, appears at every home game at Fayetteville's Crown Coliseum and will be in especially high demand when the Patriots host "Kids Take over the Crown Night" in March.
North Charleston will entertain area Boys and Girls Scouts for the Lowgators first televised home game of the season on December 13, while opening night in Asheville has been dubbed the Mountain Basketball Tipoff and will feature games involving the UNC-Asheville men's and women's teams along with the Altitude.
The 2003-04 NBDL season opens with the Huntsville Flight entertaining the Columbus Riverdragons at the Von Braun Center Nov. 21. Roanoke and Fayetteville cap off opening weekend the next evening at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.
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