Year Three for NBDL Begins Friday
Published on November 20, 2003 under NBA G League (G League) News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C., November 20 â The National Basketball Development League tips off its third season Friday evening when the Columbus Riverdragons visit the Huntsville Flight at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
Year three brings several changes to the NBDL game, most noticeably the introduction of 12-minute quarters and the new red, white and blue Spalding Infusion basketball. The league has made the change from 10 to 12 minute quarters in an effort to mirror the NBA game, while the red, white and blue game ball is being put into play both to honor our nation and the glory days of the old ABA, a league also responsible for producing future NBA stars.
NBA Commissioner David Stern and former NBA and ABA legend Artis Gilmore will be in Huntsville Friday to help tip off the 2003-04 season. Gilmore will present the new red, white and blue ball to Stern in a pre-game ceremony and the commissioner will then pronounce year three officially underway.
Friday's game between the Flight and the Riverdragons will be televised on a tape-delayed basis by NBA TV on Monday, Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be followed by the premiere of "This Week in the NBDL", a half-hour live show on NBA TV that features the NBA's minor league.
Opening weekend in the NBDL continues Saturday in Fayetteville when the Roanoke Dazzle visits the Crown Coliseum and the defending regular-season champion Fayetteville Patriots. Opening games for the remainder of the league are Nov. 28 when Charleston entertains the Dazzle and Asheville travels to Columbus.
The NBDL, the NBA's minor league, includes the Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.) and Asheville Altitude (N.C.).
The league offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. Eighteen (18) players have been called up the NBA on 22 separate occasions. Four former NBDL coaches and six referees have also been called up to the NBA since the start of the league's inaugural season in November 2001.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The NBDL is a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions.
For additional information visit NBDL.com.
NBA G League Stories from November 20, 2003
- Lowgators Roster Set for Opening Night - Charleston Lowgators
- Dazzle Opening Day Roster Set - Roanoke Dazzle
- Patriots Set Opening Night Roster - Fayetteville Patriots
- Altitude Sets Opening Day Roster - Asheville Altitude
- 'This Week in the NBDL' Premiers Monday - G League
- Year Three for NBDL Begins Friday - G League
- NBDL to Use New Ball - G League
- Columbus Riverdragons Announce Final Roster to Open NBDL Season - Columbus Riverdragons
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