
The NBA is the top basketball league in the world, with teams from the US and Canada. The league is exploring the creation of a new professional basketball league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA, the world governing body. This new league would rival the EuroLeague and create more economic opportunities on the continent. The NBA is also considering a new league with eight to ten franchises, with up to four spots for the best teams in the EuroLeague. The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league for the NBA. The G League began to offer select contracts to players who are not yet eligible to enter the NBA draft for the 2019-2020 season.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| League Name | National Basketball Development League (NBDL) |
| Year of Foundation | 2001 |
| Number of Teams | 8 |
| Player Age Limit | 20 years |
| Current Status | Renamed to NBA G League; 31 teams in 2024-25 season |
| Upcoming Plans | Exploring a new European league with FIBA |
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What You'll Learn

The NBA G League
The 2023-24 season will feature the debut of the Rip City Remix, the affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers, expanding the league's reach across North America. The NBA G League Ignite and Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico are two teams that are not affiliated with any NBA franchises. The league will also see the addition of the Valley Suns, based in Tempe, Arizona, as the 31st franchise.
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The NBA's potential European league
The NBA's 2024-25 season is already underway, with the regular season having started on 22 October 2024. The league is now approaching the 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, which will take place from 15-18 April 2025, followed by the first round of the NBA Playoffs on 19 April 2025.
The NBA is exploring the possibility of launching a new European professional basketball league. While the idea is still in its early stages, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been in preliminary talks with existing European club teams, potential investors, and FIBA. Silver presented his plans to the NBA's board of governors in New York, receiving enthusiastic support from the club owners to continue exploring this opportunity.
The proposed league would include a mix of rights-holding franchises and slots for teams to play their way in by performing well in their national league or FIBA's Basketball Champions League. It is anticipated that the league would have 16 teams, with 12 of them being permanent clubs. The funding model is expected to include league ownership stakes for team investors, although a high-ranking NBA official denied reports of a $500 million buy-in to the new league.
Silver outlined that the league would follow a combination of an open and closed system, with games adhering to European basketball standards, including 40-minute games and a FIBA style of play. He also expressed his desire for a salary cap system and for current NBA owners to hold equity in the league but not in individual clubs.
The NBA is considering existing EuroLeague franchises as potential defectors to the new league, including Real Madrid, Barca Barcelona, ASVEL Basket of Villeurbanne, and Fenerbahçe Istanbul. However, no clubs have officially announced their intention to leave the EuroLeague. The NBA's interest in expanding into Europe stems from the growing popularity of the league on the continent and the untapped marketing potential for basketball in the European market.
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The National Basketball Development League
The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) from 2005 to 2017. In 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern announced a plan to expand the league and develop it into a true minor-league farm system, with each team affiliated with one or more NBA teams.
The league has since expanded to 31 teams as of the 2024-25 season, with 30 of these affiliated with or owned by an NBA team. The Mexico City Capitanes are the only independent team. Within the G League, players can earn a contract with an NBA team and secure an official roster spot.
The G League has offered select contracts to players not yet eligible for the NBA draft since the 2019-20 season. These contracts provide an alternative for players who do not wish to attend college, with the opportunity to earn up to $125,000 per season. The league also launched its prospects team, the NBA G League Ignite, in 2020, which folded after the 2023-24 season.
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The International Basketball League
In 2010, the Albany Legends became the first team from the Northeastern United States to join the IBL. The league also occasionally featured teams from China and Japan, which would temporarily relocate to the US for the IBL season.
In March 2014, the IBL ceased to operate as an independent entity and combined with the West Coast Basketball League (WCBL). Teams were then split into an 'International Conference' and 'Continental Conference' based on geography.
While the IBL is no longer active, the NBA (the top basketball league in the world, comprising teams from the US and Canada) has expressed interest in starting a European basketball league. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stated that games would follow the European standard of 40 minutes, rather than the NBA's 48.
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The Continental Basketball Association
The CBA was founded as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League in 1946, later becoming the Eastern Professional Basketball League in 1948, and then the Eastern Basketball Association. In 1978, the league was renamed the Continental Basketball Association, leading to expansion across the country. During this time, the league expanded from 8 to 14 teams, landed its first national TV contracts, and saw franchise values increase from $5,000 to $500,000, with an aggregate increase in equity value from $24,000 to $7 million. The CBA also instituted novel rule changes, such as sudden-death overtime, a no foul-out rule, and a change in the way league standings were determined.
For most of the 1980s and 1990s, the CBA was the official developmental league of the NBA. The CBA served as a launching pad for the careers of several prominent coaches and players, including Phil Jackson, George Karl, Michael Adams, John Starks, and Tim Legler. The CBA also became a destination for faded stars whose careers were derailed by personal troubles, injuries, or outsized expectations. During the 1993-94 season, the NBA-CBA affiliate relationship was replaced by an annual draft of NBA players, giving CBA teams exclusive negotiating rights with NBA players in the event of their release from an NBA roster.
In 2000, the NBA announced it would form its own minor-league feeder system, ending its relationship with the CBA following the 2001 season. The CBA suspended play midway through the 2000-2001 season and was placed into a blind trust, but efforts to find a new owner were unsuccessful. In 2001, former CBA franchises merged with the smaller International Basketball Association (IBA) and resumed operations as the CBA, assuming the former league's identity and history. The CBA obtained eight new franchises for a total of ten for the 2006 season.
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).
The league initially had eight teams, but it expanded after 2005 under a plan by NBA commissioner David Stern to develop it into a true minor-league farm system.
In 2005, the league's name was changed to the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) as part of a new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA. It received its present name in 2017 under a deal with Gatorade.
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.
The NBA is considering the launch of a European league in partnership with FIBA. While there is no definitive start date, NBA owners may vote on a proposal at any time.
































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