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89-595: On February 25, 2009, the NBA Development League (D-League) awarded the city of Portland, Maine , with an expansion franchise. On July 21, 2009, the Red Claws announced Austin Ainge as the first head coach of the team. On April 2, 2009, "Red Claws" was announced as the winning name after a name-the-team contest, beating out Beacons, Crushers, Destroyers, Swarm, and Traps. The name and logo gave homage to

178-453: A B.A. in history. He then attended Columbia Law School , receiving a J.D. in 1966. After graduating from law school, Stern joined the law firm of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn (now Proskauer Rose ), which has long represented the NBA. He was the lead attorney representing the firm in the case of Robertson v. National Basketball Association , the landmark lawsuit brought against

267-492: A New York Knicks fan, considered Carl Braun his hero, and attended games at Madison Square Garden with his father. He played basketball briefly in adulthood before sustaining a serious right knee injury during a New York Lawyers League game. After graduating from Teaneck High School in 1959, Stern went to Rutgers University , where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity and graduated in 1963 with

356-463: A little more coaching, a little bit more life experience overall, that's good." He was criticized for his reference to the 18-year-old adults, most of whom were African American, as "these kids", when other professional sports and occupations allowed 18-year-olds. For the 2006–07 season the NBA introduced a new "microfiber" basketball for use in NBA games, replacing the previous style ball used since 1970. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban agreed with

445-499: A pro-rated portion of the NBA minimum rookie salary (which was $ 815,615 in the 2017–18 season). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way players in 2020–21 were initially allowed to play up to 50 games in the NBA. Late in the season, restrictions were further lifted, allowing them to play more than 50 games as well as being eligible for the NBA playoffs. Many former NBA draftees, waived players, and undrafted players have played in

534-409: A result of work stoppages. Stern was known as a relentless negotiator. During the 2011 lockout, he was accused by HBO commentator Bryant Gumbel of being "some kind of modern-day plantation overseer", a reference to the division between the NBA's primarily white owners and its predominantly black players. On December 8, 2011, Stern vetoed a three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul to

623-657: A scouting event for NBA general managers and scouts, but evolved into a four-day event with each team playing two games apiece. From 2005 to 2017, 15 players were called-up or recalled during or immediately following the Showcase. As of 2019, the event's location was the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip . Because of limited space at the conference center site, all games are played without spectators , although TV and Internet coverage

712-790: A single-affiliation partnership. In June 2013, the Miami Heat announced that they had entered into a single-affiliated partnership with the Sioux Falls Skyforce . In July 2013, the Sacramento Kings and Reno Bighorns (now the Stockton Kings ) entered into a single-affiliation. The Stampede ended their affiliation with the Trail Blazers after the 2013–14 season and in June 2014 announced their affiliation with

801-437: A standard NBA contract to its affiliated G League team. If more than two NBA players are assigned to a team, the team must reduce the number of G League players to keep the total roster size to 12. An NBA player will continue to be paid his NBA salary and will continue to be included on his NBA team's roster on the inactive list while playing in the G League. NBA teams can call up players as many times as they choose, and there

890-471: A team's playoff roster or play in a playoff game). Only players with four or fewer years of NBA experience are eligible for two-way contracts. The league's newest CBA, which took effect with the 2023–24 season , increases the per-team limit on two-way contracts to three. Unlike other G League players, who can be called up by any NBA team, two-way players can only be called up by their contracted NBA team. Players under two-way contracts are not counted against

979-579: A total of seven new franchises (the Hornets , Timberwolves , Heat , Magic , Grizzlies, Raptors, and Bobcats ) were admitted to the NBA, bringing the number of teams in the league to 30 by 2004. In 2000, it was revealed that the Minnesota Timberwolves had tampered with Joe Smith two years earlier by promising him a more lucrative contract in future years in exchange for signing him below market value so they could sign more players in

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1068-619: A trend of NBA and D-League teams entering into single-affiliation agreements of both the hybrid and parent-team owned varieties. With more NBA involvement, the league once again began to expand and spread its footprint. By 2015, the last multiple-affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants , was purchased by the Indiana Pacers , leading to the first season where all D-League teams were affiliated with only one NBA team. As there were no longer any unaffiliated D-League teams left,

1157-404: A year. In 1987, he started the shipping of VHS tapes from his New York office to China's state-run television station to expand the league's reach beyond North America. Stern pushed to allow NBA players to participate in international tournaments, contributing to the creation of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team , dubbed the "Dream Team", which begat the first wave of international NBA stars. One of

1246-494: Is available for all games. The 2019 showcase was a series of mini-tournaments in which the winning team shared a $ 100,000 grand prize. Before Las Vegas, host cities were Columbus, Georgia (2005); Fayetteville, North Carolina (2006); Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2007); Boise, Idaho (2008); Orem, Utah (2009); Boise, Idaho (2010); South Padre Island, Texas (2011); Reno, Nevada in 2012 and 2013; Santa Cruz, California in 2015; and Mississauga, Ontario in 2017 and 2018. It

1335-528: Is no limit to the number of times an NBA player with three years or less experience can be assigned to the G League. Starting in 2011–12, veteran NBA players could be assigned with their consent. The first example of such was with Yi Jianlian , who the Dallas Mavericks assigned to the Texas Legends for two games. The 2017 collective bargaining agreement for the NBA, which took effect with

1424-418: Is the major source from which teams build their rosters. Team rosters are made up of returning players (players who were on the team during the previous season), players waived by an NBA team who are designated as an ' affiliate player ' to their respective G League affiliate, allocated players (players who have local significance), and drafted players. The eight round draft utilizes a serpentine format , meaning

1513-623: The 2006–07 season , there would be no more teams in the southeastern United States until the 2016 expansion team, the Greensboro Swarm . After the 2006 to 2009 expansions, the league membership was fairly consistent with few relocations and suspensions. In 2009, the Houston Rockets entered into the first single-affiliation partnership, called the hybrid model, with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers . This began

1602-631: The 2014 draft , two D-League players were selected for the first time: P. J. Hairston was drafted 26th (which was also the first time a D-League player was drafted in the first round in the NBA), and Thanasis Antetokounmpo was the 51st pick. Other noteworthy D-League call-ups include 2019 NBA Champion Jeremy Lin ; Hassan Whiteside ; 2011 NBA champion J. J. Barea ; 2014, 2019 and 2020 NBA champion Danny Green ; 2015, 2017, and 2018 NBA champion Shaun Livingston ; and 2017 NBA champion Matt Barnes . The league held its first All-Star game February 17, 2007, at

1691-465: The 2017–18 season , included changes allowing each NBA team to sign two players on two-way contracts . Those players spend most of their time on the team's G League roster, but can freely move to their respective NBA team for up to 45 days in the regular season, as well as be a part of the team's roster before the start of the season (including NBA training camps) and after the conclusion of the G League's regular season (though they are not allowed to be on

1780-607: The 2021–22 season . On April 16, 2020, the NBA launched a new development program for potential NBA prospects and a new unaffiliated team called the NBA G League Ignite , which began play in the 2020–21 season. The Ignite team, however, folded after the 2023–24 season. Parent club ownership: Single affiliation/hybrid model: G League teams without an exclusive affiliate: Current member Former member or former names Future member Opted out of season Other league NBA G League players generally do not sign contracts with

1869-755: The ABA for the 2005–06 season . In February 2006, the D-League expanded to California with the addition of the Bakersfield Jam . Two months later, the league announced that four teams from the CBA were joining the league: the Dakota Wizards , Sioux Falls Skyforce , Idaho Stampede , and a team originally slated for CBA expansion , the Colorado 14ers . Shortly after, the league announced expansion teams in

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1958-682: The Anaheim Arsenal and the Los Angeles D-Fenders . The D-Fenders were the first D-League team to be directly owned by an NBA parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers . However, the westward expansion contributed to the contraction of the NBA-owned Roanoke Dazzle and Fayetteville Patriots for that season. The Florida Flame suspended operations due to arena scheduling difficulties. After

2047-595: The Austin Spurs ) and NBA team assignments . Each team also has local tryouts, and one player from the tryouts is assigned to the team. The minimum age to play in the G League is 18, unlike the NBA which requires players to be 19 years old and one year out of high school in order to sign an NBA contract or be eligible for the draft. The base annual salary is US$ 35,000 plus housing and insurance benefits. Players who are called up for NBA get bonuses totalling up to US$ 50,000. The NBA G League draft occurs each season and

2136-538: The COVID-19 pandemic -curtailed 2019–20 season , the G League postponed the start of the following season . In January 2021, the league announced it would play all games at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida , using the same isolation bubble as the 2020 NBA Bubble . Many teams opted out of participation, with only 17 of the 28 teams from the 2019–20 season plus the new Ignite prospects team choosing to take part in

2225-851: The Dakota Wizards , and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by James White of the Bakersfield Jam . The 2010 D-League All-Star game was held on February 13, 2010, at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas . The Western Conference team defeated the Eastern Conference Team, 98–81. Bakersfield Jam center Brian Butch , who scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was named as the MVP of the game. The NBA D-League also ran their third annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. The inaugural Shooting Stars Competition

2314-733: The Greensboro Swarm , the Brooklyn Nets created the Long Island Nets , and the Chicago Bulls created the Windy City Bulls . In the 2017–18 season , the D-League entered into a multi-year partnership with Gatorade and rebranded as the NBA Gatorade League, which was officially shortened to "NBA G League" prior to the season. It also continued its membership changes with the relocation of

2403-960: The Los Angeles Lakers bought their own NBA D-League franchise, originally known as the Los Angeles D-Fenders and since 2017–18 as the South Bay Lakers . This was followed by the San Antonio Spurs purchasing the Austin Toros (now the Austin Spurs ) in 2007, and the Oklahoma City Thunder purchasing the Tulsa 66ers (now the Oklahoma City Blue ) in 2008. More NBA teams began to either purchase existing franchises or create expansion teams to have their own single-affiliation teams. In 2011,

2492-725: The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada . It was part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. As with the NBA's showcase game, a fan vote determined the starting lineup for each team. The East won, 114 to 100, with Pops Mensah-Bonsu named the game's MVP. The second annual All-Star game was held on February 16, 2008, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans . The Blue team beat

2581-616: The Mexico national team held in Los Angeles . After that event, this contest did not return in any form. Since 2022, select G League players participate in the Rising Stars Challenge alongside NBA rookie and sophomore players. The league stages an annual NBA G League Showcase in which all of the league's teams play each other in a "carnival" format. The showcase was first played in 2005 was originally intended solely as

2670-479: The NBA Development League ( NBA D-League ) in 2005. It received its present name in 2017 under a deal with Gatorade , becoming the first U.S. professional sports league named for an advertiser. Initially eight teams, the league expanded after 2005 under a plan by NBA commissioner David Stern to develop it into a true minor-league farm system , with each NBA D-League team affiliated with one or more NBA teams. By mid-2014, one-third of NBA players had spent time in

2759-741: The New Jersey Nets and Springfield Armor announced they would enter into a single-affiliate partnership that began in 2011–12. In June 2011, the New York Knicks and Erie BayHawks announced they would be singly affiliated. In May 2012, the Portland Trail Blazers entered into a single-affiliation partnership with the Idaho Stampede . The following month, the Boston Celtics and Maine Red Claws announced

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2848-905: The New York Knicks became the seventh team to fully own and operate their own NBA D-League affiliate in the Westchester Knicks . In 2015, the Toronto Raptors created their own expansion franchise, the Raptors 905 . In 2017, the Timberwolves purchased the Iowa Energy and renamed the team the Iowa Wolves . In 2017, the Atlanta Hawks launched their team in under the Erie BayHawks name and then relocated

2937-727: The Olympic Order in 2012. In 2014, Stern was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . In 2016, he became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame . Stern was married to Dianne Bock Stern, and they had two sons: Eric and Andrew. They resided in Scarsdale, New York . By the later years of his commissionership, Stern was earning a $ 9 million salary. He stood at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m). On December 12, 2019, Stern suffered

3026-531: The Portland Trail Blazers announced they would be launching their affiliate, the Rip City Remix , beginning with the 2023–24 season . The Phoenix Suns then launched the Valley Suns as its affiliate team beginning with the 2024–25 season . In 2009, the Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers pioneered the single-affiliate partnership, also known as the hybrid model. In November 2010,

3115-711: The Utah Jazz . The Armor moved to Grand Rapids , Michigan , after the 2013–14 season and affiliated with the Detroit Pistons . From 2014 to 2017, the Memphis Grizzlies had a single-affiliation with the Iowa Energy. In 2015, the last multiple affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (now the Indiana Mad Ants ), were purchased by the Indiana Pacers , making the 2015–16 season the first with all teams having single-affiliations. In some cases,

3204-473: The lobster fishing industry, a major economic engine of the New England area. The use of "Red" in the team's name also served to pay tribute to longtime Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach . During the 2009–10 season, the Red Claws were the only D-League team to sell out all 24 of their home games. This streak continued until the 2011–12 season, ending the streak at 48 consecutive games. On June 21, 2012,

3293-414: The one-and-done rule where players would play one season of college basketball and then leave for the NBA. The new select contract was an alternative for players who do not want to or cannot attend a college, with players earning up to $ 125,000 per season. The league launched its prospects team, the NBA G League Ignite , in 2020. The G-League Ignite team folded after the 2023–2024 season . Following

3382-534: The southeastern United States (in Virginia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Alabama , and Georgia ). Each team logo was given NBDL branding that was differentiated by team colors. Eight players were called up to the NBA during the season, which included Chris Andersen , the first player drafted by a NBDL team. The league made sponsorship deals with Reebok and television broadcasting deals with ESPN2 and Fox Sports South to broadcast select games during

3471-423: The 2005–06 season, the NBA announced a new dress code , which banned players from wearing headphones, chains, shorts, sleeveless shirts, indoor sunglasses, T-shirts, jerseys and headgear such as baseball caps during NBA-related public appearances. Allen Iverson criticized the policy: "They're targeting guys who dress like me, guys who dress hip-hop ... I think they went way overboard." A decade later, Stern's edict

3560-482: The 2013–14 season as a D-League assistant. On June 21, 2017, Brad Stevens , Boston Celtics head coach, named him as an assistant coach with the Celtics. In 2017, the D-League rebranded as the NBA G League via a sponsorship with Gatorade . On July 25, 2019, the Celtics announced they would purchase the Red Claws franchise from original owners Bill Ryan and Bill Ryan Jr. Before the sale, the Red Claws had been one of

3649-405: The 2017–18 season, G League players who are not on two-way contracts earn either $ 19,500 or $ 26,000 during the league's season. By contrast, two-way players' salaries while in the G League, which are pro-rated according to the number of days the player is with his G League team, are based on an annual salary between $ 50,000 and $ 75,000, and while these players are with their NBA team, they will earn

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3738-1155: The Cleveland Cavaliers purchased the New Mexico Thunderbirds to become the Canton Charge, and the Golden State Warriors purchased the Dakota Wizards , with the Warriors moving the Wizards a year later to become the Santa Cruz Warriors . In 2013, the Philadelphia 76ers purchased the inactive Utah Flash and moved them to Newark, Delaware as the Delaware 87ers ; the team is now the Delaware Blue Coats, and plays in Wilmington . In 2014,

3827-423: The Commissioner of the NBA, succeeding O'Brien during the league's recovery from its darkest period. Instead of marketing the league's teams, he changed the focus to its star players, such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird , and Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley from the 1984 NBA draft , which was held soon after Stern took office. Jordan's arrival, in particular, ushered in a new era of commercial bounty for

3916-411: The Dream Team members was Johnson. A year earlier, he announced that he was HIV-positive and retiring from basketball in a press conference with Stern sitting by his side. At the time, the public was afraid of HIV and the disease was demonized. Some people feared it could be transmitted by sweat or a handshake. Despite backlash, Stern allowed Johnson to play in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game and later for

4005-410: The Dream Team. Having read medical literature and consulted experts, Stern helped inform league owners, players, sponsors and the public about the virus. The NBA put infection-control procedures in place; previously, players were allowed to play while bleeding. In 1995, the NBA expanded into Canada, introducing the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies to the league. During Stern's tenure,

4094-402: The Erie BayHawks to Lakeland, Florida , as the Lakeland Magic , a new Erie BayHawks franchise, and expansions in the Agua Caliente Clippers in Ontario, California (now known as the San Diego Clippers ), the Memphis Hustle in Southaven, Mississippi , and the Wisconsin Herd in Oshkosh, Wisconsin . The Los Angeles D-Fenders would also re-brand to the South Bay Lakers . In December 2017,

4183-401: The Lakers, Lamar Odom to the league-owned Hornets, and Pau Gasol to the Rockets for what a spokesman would only say were "basketball reasons". Early reactions from around the league, fanbase, and media were all largely negative, with players taking to Twitter to express their concerns, and several noted sports journalists criticizing the decision. The deal was maligned especially because of

4272-451: The NBA D-League, up from 23% in 2011. As of the 2024–25 season , the league consists of 31 teams. All are single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team except the independent Mexico City Capitanes . On June 13, 2000, NBA Commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik announced the formation of the National Basketball Development League, to begin play in November 2001, with players required to be at least twenty years old. This

4361-415: The NBA G League. Bobby Simmons , Aaron Brooks , and Pascal Siakam are the only former D-League players to win an NBA end-of-season award; all won the Most Improved Player Award , with Simmons getting it with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004–05 , Brooks earning it with the Houston Rockets in 2009–10 and Siakam receiving it with the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 NBA season. Khris Middleton became

4450-426: The NBA and the live-streaming website Twitch announced that they would broadcast G League games on Twitch. Games have also been aired on the ESPN+ subscription service. For the 2019–20 season , the G League began to offer select contracts to players who are not yet eligible to enter the NBA draft . Since 2006, players must be at least 19 years old by the end of the calendar year, creating what became known as

4539-430: The NBA by star player Oscar Robertson . Stern helped the league negotiate a settlement that allowed the NBA/ABA merger to proceed in return for the NBA abolishing the "option" clause in its uniform player contract and allowing players to become free agents for the first time. In 1978, Stern left Proskauer Rose to become the NBA's general counsel under Commissioner Larry O'Brien . By 1980, O'Brien promoted Stern to be

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4628-557: The NBA team's regular roster limit, and can be assigned to a G League affiliate for development while also getting a larger salary whenever they are called up to the parent team. For teams that do not have a one-to-one affiliation with a G League team, a process similar to the "flexible assignment" rule is being used to determine the placement for their own two-way contracts in the G League until every team has their proper affiliation underway. In addition, salaries for two-way players are much higher than those for regular G League players. As of

4717-399: The NBA's audience, especially internationally by setting up training camps, playing exhibition games, and recruiting more international players. In addition, with Stern's guidance the NBA opened 12 offices in cities outside the United States, and broadcast to over 200 territories in over 40 languages. Stern also helped found the Women's National Basketball Association and the NBA G League ,

4806-475: The NBA's development league. Under Stern, the NBA launched their digital presence with NBA.com, NBA TV , and NBA League Pass . He also established the NBA's social responsibility program, NBA Cares . Stern started with the NBA in 1966 as an outside counsel, then joined the NBA in 1978 as general counsel and became the league's executive vice president in 1980. He became commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O'Brien . After 30 years, Stern retired in 2014 as

4895-454: The NBA's executive vice president for business and legal affairs, which made Stern de facto in charge of marketing, television, and public relations for the league. During this time, Stern largely drove two landmark agreements with the NBA Players' Association : drug testing and team salary cap. An August 1980 report by the Los Angeles Times had estimated that 40 to 75 percent of NBA players used cocaine. The drug testing policy dealt with

4984-443: The NBA. With him came his flair and talent for the game, and that brought in shoe contracts from Nike which helped to give the league even more national attention. Stern guided the league through dwindling viewership en route to global growth. In his first year as commissioner, Stern offered Adrian Paenza, a South American basketball and soccer analyst, and the Argentina Channel 9 the rights to air weekly NBA highlights for $ 2,000

5073-403: The Northern Arizona Suns beginning with the 2016–17 season . On October 20, 2016, the Sacramento Kings bought the majority ownership of their affiliate of the previous eight seasons, the Reno Bighorns, and would eventually move the team to Stockton, California , as the Stockton Kings after the 2017–18 season. On December 14, 2016, the Magic purchased their affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, with

5162-441: The Red Claws announced that they had entered a hybrid affiliation with the Boston Celtics , making the Celtics the Red Claws' sole affiliate. For the team's first two seasons, their affiliation was split between the Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats . For its third season, the team's affiliation was split between Boston, Charlotte and the Philadelphia 76ers . The Red Claws made their first playoff appearance in April 2013, entering

5251-399: The Red Claws had been rebranded the Maine Celtics beginning with the 2021–22 season. Roster Last transaction: November 26, 2024 NBA Development League The NBA G League , or simply the G League , is the minor league organization of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League ( NBDL ), renamed

5340-437: The Red team, 117–99, and Jeremy Richardson was named the MVP. In addition to the NBA D-League All-Star Game, the league debuted its first Dream Factory Friday Night events, which modeled after the NBA All-Star Saturday Night events. The events consists of Three-Point Shootout (won by Adam Harrington ), Slam Dunk Contest (won by Brent Petway ), and game of H-O-R-S-E (won by Lance Allred ). The 2009 D-League All-Star game

5429-469: The abbreviated bubble season beginning in February 2021. Ownership models vary across the NBA G League. Growing willingness among NBA organizations to invest in the G League has led to two main models: direct ownership of G League teams by parent NBA clubs and single-affiliate partnerships in which the G League team remains independently owned while the affiliate NBA team runs and finances basketball operations. Parent club direct ownership began in 2006 when

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5518-400: The conflict of interest posed by the league's ownership of one of its teams. On October 25, 2012, Stern announced that he would step down as NBA commissioner on February 1, 2014, after 30 years in the role, longer than each of his three predecessors. He was succeeded by his deputy Adam Silver , but remained affiliated with the league with the title of commissioner emeritus. Stern received

5607-434: The decision and implementation, and that it would have been better to get the players' input in advance. On December 11, 2006, the NBA announced that it would in fact switch back to the leather ball starting on January 1, 2007. In 2007, Stern injected himself in the controversy surrounding the purchase and subsequent relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics by Oklahoman Clay Bennett and his ownership group. His support for

5696-421: The few remaining independently owned G League franchises. Their sale to the Celtics continued the trend of NBA teams purchasing their G League affiliates. The sale was finalized on October 15, 2019. On December 7, 2019, Bryce Brown set a franchise record with scoring 11 of 11 three-pointers for the Red Claws in a 128–123 loss to the Delaware Blue Coats . The 2019–20 season was then curtailed in March 2020 by

5785-412: The first former D-League player to be named an NBA All-Star when he was selected to participate in the 2019 All-Star Game . In the 2008 NBA draft , the Idaho Stampede 's Mike Taylor was drafted 55th by the Portland Trail Blazers . He became the first player from the NBA D-League to be drafted by an NBA team. He was subsequently traded and signed a rookie contract with the Los Angeles Clippers . In

5874-456: The first season (such as the NBDL Finals), which made them one of few minor league operations to have nationally televised games. The Greenville Groove won the first NBDL championship on April 8, 2002, after winning game 2 over the North Charleston Lowgators . The league saw an average attendance of 1,640 fans per game, lower than what the NBA expected. In 2005, the league's name was changed to NBA Development League (NBA D-League) as part of

5963-428: The franchise to College Park, Georgia , in 2019 as the College Park Skyhawks . In 2021, the Detroit Pistons relocated the Northern Arizona Suns to Detroit and renamed the team as the Motor City Cruise . In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans launched their G League franchise as a third incarnation of the Erie BayHawks before relocating the team to Birmingham, Alabama , as the Birmingham Squadron in 2021. In April 2023,

6052-423: The hybrid affiliation led to the parent team buying their affiliate's franchise outright. On March 24, 2015, the Utah Jazz purchased their affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, and, after one more season in Boise , relocated the team to Salt Lake City . On April 11, 2016, the Phoenix Suns purchased their affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam , and announced the immediate relocation of the team to Prescott Valley, Arizona , as

6141-445: The individual teams, but with the league itself. G League team rosters consist of a total of 12 players, 10 (or fewer) being G League players and two (or more) NBA players. The rosters are made up in a number of ways: the previous year's players, players taken in the G League draft, allocation players (meaning players who are assigned to a team with which they have a local connection, such as a University of Texas player being assigned to

6230-401: The intention to relocate the team to Lakeland, Florida , in 2017. In 2017, the Miami Heat purchased the controlling interest in the Sioux Falls Skyforce after being its primary affiliate since 2013. In July 2019, the Boston Celtics acquired its affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, then became the Maine Celtics in 2021. Since 2020, the league added two teams without affiliation, with one of

6319-403: The longest-tenured commissioner in the history of major North American sports leagues (though his record has since been broken ). He was succeeded by Adam Silver . He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame . Stern was on the Rutgers University Board of Overseers, a Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and chair of JALC's Marketing Committee, and

6408-409: The need for a new ball, claiming the old style ball was inconsistent. Many of the league's most prominent players openly expressed their dislike for the new ball, such as Shaquille O'Neal who said, "Feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store." A study, financed by Cuban, claimed that the new ball "bounces 5 to 8% lower than typical leather balls when dropped from 4 feet...[and]

6497-596: The new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA and a bid to appeal to more fans by showing the connection to the NBA. In the same offseason, Southwest Basketball, LLC led by David Kahn received league permission to operate four new teams. Southwest Basketball purchased three existing franchises and one expansion team: the Albuquerque Thunderbirds , Austin Toros , Fort Worth Flyers , and Tulsa 66ers . The Arkansas RimRockers were also added from

6586-505: The new ball bounces 30% more erratically." However, Stern initially refused to go back to the original ball despite many complaints by players about the new ball. Two months into the season, the National Basketball Players Association filed a grievance related to the quality of the ball and the cuts it had caused on players' fingers. Stern acknowledged that the NBA "could have done a better job" with

6675-464: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic while the Red Claws were in first place in their division. The following 2020–21 season was then delayed due to the ongoing pandemic-related restrictions and eventually held at a single location in Orlando, Florida . However, the Celtics decided to not have the Red Claws participate and opted out of the season. On May 24, 2021, the Boston Celtics announced

6764-561: The order alternates in each round; Team A who selected first in Round 1 will select last in Round 2, while Team B who selected last in Round 1 will get the first pick in Round 2. Round 3 was added in 2014. The league holds an annual Player Invitational, where prospects hope to earn eligibility for the upcoming draft. Since 2014–15, an NBA team that declines to sign an NBA draft pick can have them sign directly with their G League affiliate. Previously, an unsigned NBA pick could not be protected by

6853-608: The organization's G League affiliate, and the player might have ended up on the G League team of another organization. Players waived by an NBA team during training camp and up until the start of the regular season can be designated as "affiliate players" and allocated to the NBA team's G League affiliate. Each team is allowed four affiliate players. These are players that an NBA team is interested in developing in their own system. The affiliate players, however, still remain as free agents that any NBA team can sign. Each NBA team can assign two first-year or second-year players who are under

6942-523: The perception that the NBA had a drug problem, which it admitted, and it was cleaning it up. The NBA was the first of the major sports leagues in North America to implement a drug testing policy. The salary cap created a revenue-sharing system where owner and player were effectively partners, with players receiving 53 percent of all revenues. Both of these agreements solidified Stern's standing inside NBA circles. On February 1, 1984, Stern became

7031-470: The playoffs as the eighth seeded team and being swept by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in a best-of-three-game opening round series. On July 16, 2014, the Red Claws announced that Mike Taylor would not return for a third season as the team's head coach. He had a 45–55 record as coach over two seasons with the team. He was replaced by Canadian Scott Morrison after 11 seasons as the head coach of Lakehead University 's Lakehead Thunderwolves . Morrison spent

7120-536: The remaining NBA teams began purchasing expansion franchises or hybrid partnership teams and placing them near the parent team. In 2015, the Toronto Raptors placed their own team, Raptors 905 , in the Greater Toronto Area in Mississauga, Ontario . In 2016, the D-League expanded by three more NBA parent club-owned teams for the largest D-League expansion since 2007. The Charlotte Hornets created

7209-414: The short-term. The NBA voided the last year of Smith's contract, fined the franchise $ 3.5 million and took away the Timberwolves' next three 1st-round NBA draft picks. Although many believed that tampering is a common practice, Stern abided by arbitrator Kenneth Dam's ruling that the Timberwolves had signed the secret agreement, and denied that the league was making an example of the Timberwolves. Before

7298-405: The surprising move from the nation's 14th-largest market to the 45th was questioned by many both in the public and media. Stern's tenure saw the relocation of six NBA franchises. In the summer of 2011, the NBA lockout cost the league regular-season games for the second time in league history; the first occurred during the 1998–99 lockout . Those were the only times the league has lost games as

7387-601: The teams closing after several years. On December 12, 2019, the Mexico City Capitanes , which had been playing in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional , was announced as joining the NBA G League as an independent team in the 2020–21 season on a five-year agreement. Due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, a normal 2020–21 season did not occur and the Capitanes' debut was then delayed to

7476-713: Was a Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University . He was also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations . David Stern was born in Manhattan , New York City, one of three children of Anna (née Bronstein, 1918–1990) and William Stern (1918–1980), a Jewish family. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey , and his father ran a Jewish delicatessen in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Stern grew up

7565-403: Was credited with spawning a style trend among NBA stars toward high fashion. Stern advocated a minimum age limit for NBA players. Starting with the 2006 NBA draft , players could no longer be selected straight out of high school and needed to be at least 19 years old, creating the one-and-done rule . In 2001, Stern had stated, "If these kids have the ability to get a little more maturity,

7654-732: Was held on February 14, 2009, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona . The Red Team defeated the Blue Team, 113–103, and Blake Ahearn and Courtney Sims were named co-MVPs. Along with the All-Star game, the NBA D-League ran their second annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. H-O-R-S-E was won by Will Conroy of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds . The Three-Point Shootout was won by Blake Ahearn of

7743-488: Was not held in 2016. David Stern David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of the world's most popular sports during the 1990s and 2000s. He is credited with developing and broadening

7832-645: Was not the first time the league had their own minor league system, as they had used the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) as a developmental league for over two decades. The NBA had attempted to buy the CBA in March 2000, but they were rejected. The league began its play as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) in the 2001–02 season ; the eight franchises were all located in

7921-463: Was won by a team of Pat Carroll , Trey Gilder and Carlos Powell . The Three-Point Shootout was won by Andre Ingram of the Utah Flash , and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by Dar Tucker of the Los Angeles D-Fenders . The game continued until 2017, with games continuing to be held during NBA All-Star Weekend at the same site. In 2018, it was replaced by a game between G League all-stars and

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