Previously known as the D-League, the NBA G League acquired its current name due to the partnership with Gatorade. It was in 2017, so for the 2017-2018 season … or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association’s official minor league basketball organization. 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 until 2017.
In the 2017–18 season, Gatorade became the title sponsor of the D-League, and it was renamed the NBA G League.
The NBA Gatorade League, commonly known as the G League, was founded in 2001, originally named the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The brainchild of the National Basketball Association (NBA), it was conceived as a developmental league to nurture and refine the skills of players who were not quite ready for the NBA spotlight. In 2017, the league embraced a major sponsorship deal with Gatorade, leading to its current name.
Throughout its history, the G League has been a crucible for talent, with many players, coaches, and officials using it as a springboard to NBA careers. It has witnessed remarkable achievements, such as the introduction of the innovative coach’s challenge rule and the implementation of a flexible assignment system, allowing NBA teams to assign players to their G League affiliates. The league has also been a testing ground for new rules, technology, and management approaches that later found their way into the NBA.
As of now, the G League continues to hold a significant position in the basketball world. It has expanded significantly, including teams directly affiliated with NBA franchises. It serves not only as a pathway for aspiring NBA talent but also as a platform for global outreach, helping expand basketball’s footprint worldwide. The league’s emphasis on development and innovation remains at its core, continually shaping the future of basketball.
What is NBA Gatorade League?
NBA Gatorade League, also known as NBA G League, is the name of the American basketball association, which was established in 2001. It is a minor league, which started as the developing one.
The NBA Gatorade logo from 2001 featured a green and blue vertically oriented badge with the white silhouette of a basketball player jumping and putting the ball into the basket. The player also works as a “separation line” between the two parts of the badge. The bottom right corner of the logo contained a white NBDL lettering in a custom sans-serif. NBDL stood for National Basketball Development League.
The redesign of 2005 switched the color palette of the logo to blue and red, and moved the lettering out of the emblem, writing it on the right side of the logo, in three levels. The “NBA Development League” wordmark was set in a bold sans-serif typeface, with the letters slightly italicized and boasting the same inclination as the contour of the graphical emblem.
The new logo also features a white silhouette caught mid-dunking, only this time against a black background.
A silhouette of a basketball player framed by a vertical rectangle with rounded corners. The silhouette is white and the background is black. The color palette also includes a bit of orange. The lightening bolt against the letter “G” in the bottom right hand corner of the rectangle. The letter “G” is the sponsor’s logo.
The image of the player is less dynamic then in the previous logo.
The new logo seems to focus more on the sponsorship than on its own message.