NBA G League Overview
The NBA G League is the NBA's official minor league
and developmental system. It provides opportunities for players,
coaches, referees, athletic trainers and front-office personnel while
also serving as a testing ground for new basketball rules, technology
and player-development ideas.
The league began play during the 2001-02 season as
the National Basketball Development League, commonly
abbreviated as the NBDL. It originally consisted of eight teams.
The league later became known as the NBA Development League
or NBA D-League. Beginning with the
2017-18 season, it was renamed the
NBA G League as part of the NBA's expanded partnership
with Gatorade.
What began as an eight-team developmental league has grown into a
system in which every NBA franchise operates or is affiliated with its
own G League team.
League Name History
| Years |
League Name |
Notes |
| 2001-2005 |
National Basketball Development League |
The league launched in 2001-02 with eight teams and was commonly
known as the NBDL.
|
| 2005-2017 |
NBA Development League |
The league became increasingly integrated with NBA franchises and
was widely known as the NBA D-League.
|
| 2017-Present |
NBA G League |
The league adopted its current name beginning with the 2017-18 season
through an expanded partnership between the NBA and Gatorade.
|
NBA G League History at NBAHoopsOnline
Growth of the League
The developmental league began with only
eight teams in 2001-02. Over the next two decades,
NBA organizations increasingly purchased, relocated or created
developmental teams so they could directly control player development.
The league expanded especially rapidly during the 2010s as NBA teams
recognized the value of having a dedicated affiliate. The addition of
the Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns' affiliate, for
2024-25 meant that all 30 NBA franchises finally had their own
G League affiliate.
The G League has also expanded beyond the United States.
Mexico City Capitanes joined G League competition
during the 2021-22 season and remain an independent franchise rather
than the affiliate of an NBA team.
Current NBA G League
| Category |
Current Status |
| League |
NBA G League |
| First Season |
2001-02 |
| 2026-27 Season |
26th season |
| 2026-27 Teams |
31 |
| NBA Affiliates |
30 — one for every NBA franchise |
| Independent Team |
Mexico City Capitanes |
| 2025-26 Champion |
Greensboro Swarm |
| 2025-26 MVP |
Mac McClung, Windy City Bulls |
2025-26 NBA G League Season
The Greensboro Swarm, affiliate of the Charlotte
Hornets, won the 2025-26 NBA G League championship by defeating the
Stockton Kings 2-0 in the Finals. It was the first G League title in
Greensboro franchise history.
Mac McClung of the Windy City Bulls was named the
2025-26 NBA G League Most Valuable Player. It was his second G League
MVP award after also winning in 2023-24.
The 2025-26 season featured 31 teams and an expanded 16-team playoff
field.
2026-27 Changes
The NBA G League is scheduled to enter its
26th season in 2026-27 with 31 teams.
Two franchises are changing locations and identities for the season.
The South Bay Lakers are becoming the
Coachella Valley Lakers, while the
Birmingham Squadron are becoming the
Laketown Squadron.
The league's season format continues to include a
14-game Tip-Off Tournament followed by a
36-game regular season, giving each team at least
50 games.
Player Development and NBA Call-Ups
The G League has evolved from a small developmental experiment into a
major part of NBA roster development. Players can move between NBA and
G League teams through assignments, call-ups and two-way contracts.
Two-way NBA contracts were introduced for the
2017-18 season, giving NBA teams additional roster
spots specifically designed for players who could spend time with both
the NBA club and its G League affiliate.
By the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, approximately half of the
players on NBA opening-night rosters had previous NBA G League
experience, demonstrating how important the league has become as a
developmental pathway.
G League Ignite
NBA G League Ignite was created in 2020 as an
alternative development path for elite NBA Draft prospects who wanted
to play professionally before becoming draft eligible.
The program produced numerous NBA Draft selections, including
Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels, Scoot Henderson,
Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis.
The NBA ended the Ignite program following the
2023-24 season, citing major changes in college
basketball such as Name, Image and Likeness opportunities, collectives
and the transfer portal.
From the NBDL to the NBA G League
The original NBDL was dramatically different from today's league.
It began as a small collection of teams concentrated primarily in the
Southeastern United States, with players allocated or drafted into the
league rather than being tied directly to a single NBA organization.
As NBA teams became more involved, the developmental league shifted
toward the modern affiliate model. Franchises began owning or directly
operating teams, allowing organizations to develop players within their
own systems, terminology and coaching philosophies.
That transformation is why older NBAHoopsOnline pages in this section
use the terms NBDL and D-League.
Those names are preserved where historically appropriate, while the
league itself is now known as the NBA G League.
