NBA Development League
NBA Development League logo.
Sport	Basketball
Founded	2001
No. of teams	14
Country(ies)	United States
Most recent champion(s)	Dakota Wizards
Official website	NBA.com/dleague

The NBA Development League, or D-League, is the National Basketball Association's officially sponsored and operated developmental basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), the D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001. In March 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern announced a plan to expand the D-League to fifteen teams and develop it into a true minor league farm system, with two NBA teams sharing each D-League team. In 2006-07, the league had 12 teams, with each D-League team being affiliated with between 1 and 3 NBA teams.

History

The league began play as the NBDL in the 2001-2002 season; the original eight franchises were all located in the southeastern United States (specifically in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia). Some of these teams were purchased by private owners and relocated — at the same time the league's name was changed — in the summer of 2005 in a bid to appeal to more fans nationwide. As a result, franchises were established in or moved to Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma. In February of 2006, the D-League expanded to California for the first time with the addition of the Bakersfield Jam. Two months later, the league announced that four teams from the Continental Basketball Association were joining the league: the Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, and a team originally slated for CBA expansion, the Colorado 14ers.^[1][2] A few days after that, the league announced that Anaheim, California, would be getting a team.^[3] One week after that, they announced that the Los Angeles Lakers have purchased a team, making them the first NBA team to own a D-League team.^[4] The westward expansion and box office struggles have led to the closing of the NBA-owned Roanoke Dazzle^[5] and Fayetteville Patriots.^[6] The Florida Flame have suspended operations due to arena scheduling difficulties (but hope to return in 2007-08).^[7] It appears that league expansion is already underway for the 2007-08 season, as the owners of the Utah Jazz have announced a new expansion team in Orem, Utah to begin play as the Utah Flash.^[8] Also, teams in Rio Grande Valley ^[9], Des Moines, Iowa ^[10] and Fort Wayne, IN have been announced to begin play that same season. The league hopes to have at least 16 teams for 2007-08.

Many former NBA draftees and waived players have participated in the D-League. Some of the D-League players that have gone on to successful NBA careers include Rafer Alston, Matt Carroll, Chris Andersen, Devin Brown, Bobby Simmons, Mikki Moore, and Smush Parker.

Special events

The NBADL held its first all-star game February 17, 2007 at 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.^[11]

The league also stages an annual D-League Showcase in which all of the league's teams play each other in a "carnival" format. In 2007, it took place on January 15-17 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Player allocations

Players for D-League teams do not sign contracts with the individual teams, but with the league itself. D-League team rosters consist of a total of 12 players, 10 (or fewer) being D-League players and 2 (or more) NBA players. The rosters are made up in a number of ways - the previous years' players, players taken in the D-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 the Austin Toros), NBA team assignments, and local tryouts. Each NBA team can assign two first or second year players to its affiliated D-League team. If more than two NBA players are assigned to a team, the team must reduce the number of D-League players to keep the total roster size to 12. Each team also has local tryouts and one player from the tryouts is assigned to the team.

NBA teams can call up players as many times as they choose, but a player can only be sent down to the D-League three times in a season.^[12]

2007-08 NBA Development League Teams

(Teams listed with 2007-08 NBA affiliates) [1]

NBA Development League
Central Division
Team	City	NBA Affiliates
Dakota Wizards	Bismarck, ND	Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards
Fort Wayne Mad Ants	Fort Wayne, IN	Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers
Iowa Energy	Des Moines, IA	Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat
Sioux Falls Skyforce	Sioux Falls, SD	Charlotte Bobcats, Minnesota Timberwolves.
Southwest Division
Team	City	NBA Affiliates
Albuquerque Thunderbirds	Albuquerque, NM	Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns.
Austin Toros	Austin, TX	San Antonio Spurs
Colorado 14ers	Broomfield, CO	Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors
Rio Grande Valley Vipers	Hidalgo, TX	Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets
Tulsa 66ers	Tulsa, OK	Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks
West Division
Team	City	NBA Affiliates
Anaheim Arsenal	Anaheim, CA	Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic
Bakersfield Jam	Bakersfield, CA	Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings
Idaho Stampede	Boise, ID	Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics
Los Angeles D-Fenders	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles Lakers
Utah Flash	Orem, UT	Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz

Inactive teams

• Arkansas RimRockers
• Florida Flame
• Fort Worth Flyers

Defunct teams

• Asheville Altitude 2001-05 (moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma)
• Charleston Lowgators 2001-04 (moved to South Fort Myers, Florida)
• Columbus Riverdragons 2001-05 (moved to Austin, Texas)
• Fayetteville Patriots 2001-06
• Greenville Groove 2001-03
• Huntsville Flight 2001-05 (moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico)
• Mobile Revelers 2001-03
• Roanoke Dazzle 2001-06

Champions

Season	Winner	Score	Runner-up
2001-2002	Greenville Groove	2-0	North Charleston Lowgators
2002-2003	Mobile Revelers	2-1	Fayetteville Patriots
2003-2004	Asheville Altitude	108-106 (OT)[13]	Huntsville Flight
2004-2005	Asheville Altitude	90-67[14]	Columbus Riverdragons
2005-2006	Albuquerque Thunderbirds	119-108[15]	Fort Worth Flyers
2006-2007	Dakota Wizards	129-121 (OT)	Colorado 14ers

Notes: In the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 seasons, the Championship was a best of three game series.

NBA Development League MVPs

• 2001-2002 Ansu Sesay, Greenville Groove
• 2002-2003 Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
• 2003-2004 Tierre Brown, Charleston Lowgators
• 2004-2005 Matt Carroll, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2005-2006 Marcus Fizer, Austin Toros
• 2006-2007 Randy Livingston, Idaho Stampede

References

See also

• List of developmental and minor sports leagues

External links

• Official D-League website
• DraftExpress.com D-League Blog

NBA Development League
Central Division	Southwest Division	West Division
Dakota Wizards	Albuquerque Thunderbirds	Anaheim Arsenal
Fort Wayne Mad Ants	Austin Toros	Bakersfield Jam
Iowa Energy	Colorado 14ers	Idaho Stampede
Sioux Falls Skyforce	Rio Grande Valley Vipers	Los Angeles D-Fenders
	Tulsa 66ers	Utah Flash

•  • [ e] National Basketball Association (2007-08)
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