Clarity for the NBA G-League, as they will get to play their 2020-21 season after all.
The league announced earlier today that the upcoming season will take place inside the former NBA bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside the Walt Disney World Resort next month, with seventeen teams and the G-League Ignite as participants.
NBA G-League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim shares, "We worked closely with our teams, the Basketball Players Union, and public health experts to develop a structure that allows our teams to gather at a single site and safely play." He adds, "We are thrilled to get back to basketball and to fulfill our mission as a critical resource for the NBA in developing players, coaches, referees, athletic trainers and front-office staff."
Disney Sports vice president Faron Kelley says of the NBA's return to the Disney campus, "Our Cast Members are eager to work with the NBA family again and welcome in the next round of talented basketball players to compete at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Most importantly, Disney and the NBA G League will continue our shared focus on the necessary safety protocols for the well-being of the players, coaches, staff and everyone supporting this event."
NBA teams who do not have an G-League affiliate among the bubble participants are still allowed to assign players from their main roster through the league's flexible assignment rules. The same can be said as well for those under two-way contracts through Two-Way rules.
This will be the first official competition for the G-League Ignite, the team representing elite prospects who chose NBA's pathway program instead of taking the collegiate or overseas route. Among the members of the Ignite is top NBA Draft prospect Jalen Green and former Ateneo de Manila High School standout Kai Sotto.
Under traditional rules, the Ignite are not eligible to advance to the postseason, but with the current circumstances as a result of the pandemic, the Brian Shaw-coached squad will have the opportunity in the bubble to make the playoffs.
As it was during the NBA version of the bubble, players, coaches, team, and league staff inside the campus will be subject to the comprehensive league-wide health and safety protocols, which remains centered on the core principles of social distancing, mask wearing, hand hygiene, and COVID-19 testing.
Aside from the Ignite, the seventeen other participating teams are as follows:
- Agua Caliente Clippers (Los Angeles Clippers)
- Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)
- Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers)
- Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets)
- Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic)
- Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets)
- Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets)
- Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz)
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors)
- Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
The NBA will announce the schedule for the G-League bubble at a later date.
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