The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the official minor league organization of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Development League from 2005 until 2017. The league started with eight teams until NBA commissioner David Stern announced a plan to expand the NBA D-League to 15 teams and develop it into a true minor league farm system, with each NBA D-League team affiliated with one or more NBA teams in March 2005. At the conclusion of the 2013–14 NBA season, 33% of NBA players had spent time in the NBA D-League, up from 23% in 2011. As of the 2023–24 season, the league consists of 31 teams, 29 of which are either single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team, along with the NBA G League Ignite exhibition team. Within the G League, players have the chance to get a contract from a current NBA team, and can land themselves a spot on an official roster.
Peter John Ramos Fuentes, nicknamed as Mr. Beast, is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player and professional wrestler. He is the sixth athlete from Puerto Rico to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the third drafted, gathering success in the NBA Development League (NBDL), where he was an All Star during the 2006–07 season. Ramos has also played in Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN), the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was a member of the Puerto Rico national basketball team from 2004 to 2016, making his Olympic debut in the game where Puerto Rico defeated the United States at Athens.
The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizards, over players that have gone on to have more successful NBA careers, has been a source of great criticism by numerous media outlets. Several international players from this draft, Pau Gasol (Spain), Tony Parker (France) and Mehmet Okur (Turkey), became NBA All-Stars.
Rick Apodaca is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player. Apodaca has played in the NCAA, USBL, NBDL, and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico (BSN) with the Arecibo Captains, Bayamón Cowboys, San German Athletics and Leones de Ponce. He also played professional basketball in Poland, Italy and Turkey. Apodaca was a member of the senior Puerto Rican National Basketball Team that defeated the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
Luke Ryan Jackson is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks, earning consensus second-team All-American honors as a senior in 2004. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 10th overall pick. After his playing career, Jackson was a head coach for the Northwest Christian University Beacons.
Ricardo "Ricky" Sánchez Rosa is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player who most recently played for Grises de Humacao of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers out of IMG Academy with the 35th pick of the 2005 NBA draft, becoming the fourth Puerto Rican to be drafted by the National Basketball Association, and was immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets for their selection, Jarrett Jack. He has played for the Puerto Rican national basketball team. He is the last player to be drafted by the NBA while still a minor, drafted 8 days before his 18th birthday.
Randy Livingston is an American former professional basketball player and current coach. He played parts of eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for nine different teams. The national high school player in the country in 1993, Livingston's college and professional careers were marked by a series of injuries that hampered his play.
Earl Daniel Barron Jr. is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a video and player development assistant for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Memphis and had stints in the NBA with multiple teams.
Scott David Burrell is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the men's basketball head coach at Southern Connecticut State University. He has played internationally and was also a professional baseball player. In 1990, Burrell was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays of MLB. He played in Minor League Baseball during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. After ending his baseball career, he was drafted in 1993 by the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. He was later traded to the Golden State Warriors and then the Chicago Bulls, where he won a championship ring. He next played with the New Jersey Nets and then finished his NBA career with the Hornets in 2000–01. He played in other professional basketball leagues through the 2005–06 season.
Alejandro "Bimbo" Carmona is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for the Gigantes de Carolina of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). After going undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft, Carmona participated in 2005 pre-season training camp of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association, and then played with the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League. Since then, he has been playing in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) with Gigantes de Carolina, Vaqueros de Bayamón, Indios de Mayagüez, Brujos de Guayama and Piratas de Quebradillas. Carmona was a member of the Puerto Rico national basketball team since 2006.
Manuel Narvaez is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. He has played in the NBDL, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico (BSN) with Santurce Crabbers, Coamo Marathon Runners, Ponce Lions, Bayamón Cowboys, Morovis Titans, and the Isabela Gallitos. Narvaez was drafted by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds with the 1st pick of the fourth round of the 2006 NBDL draft. He was a member of the 2006 and 2007 Puerto Rican National Team.
Miguel Ali Berdiel is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). Berdiel has played in the NCAA, CBA, the NBA G League, and the BSN. Internationally, Berdiel has played in Belgium, Slovenia, Cyprus, Mexico and Uruguay. Berdiel was a member of the Puerto Rico national basketball team from 2007 until 2014.
Ernest Brown is an American former professional basketball player who was selected in the second round of the 2000 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He played collegiately for the Indian Hills Community College. He played three games for them during the 2001-02 NBA season before being waived, and was also later signed and waived by the Boston Celtics; he has spent most of his career in the NBDL and other minor/foreign leagues. His final NBA game was played on April 14, 2002 in a 67 - 94 loss to the New York Knicks. In that game, Brown recorded 3 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block.
Terrence Deshon Williams is an American former professional basketball player. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was the senior co-captain for the 2008–09 University of Louisville Cardinals.
Derrick Eugene Caracter is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Capitanes de Arecibo of the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He played college basketball for Louisville and UTEP. Caracter played one season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Robert George Thornton is an American basketball coach and former player who played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the lead assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats in the Australian NBL.
Jermaine Walker is an American former professional basketball player.
The 2001–02 NBDL season was the inaugural season for the National Basketball Development League. The league started with eight teams: Asheville Altitude, Columbus Riverdragons, Fayetteville Patriots, Greenville Groove, Huntsville Flight, Mobile Revelers, North Charleston Lowgators and Roanoke Dazzle. The season ended with the Groove defeating the Lowgators 2–0 in the best-of-three Finals series to win the inaugural NBDL championship.
Grant Alexander Jerrett is an American professional basketball player for Utsunomiya Brex of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for the University of Arizona.
