Developing the NBA's Developmental League

Growing up as a fanatic sports fan in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I had been to a Reading Phillies game and a Philadelphia Phantoms game. I always had a blast at these games with family and friends even though they did not feature the best talent their respective sports had to offer. Major League Baseball has always been famous for its farm system and the way teams develop their prospects through these minor leagues. The NHL has also always had the AHL for teams to develop younger talents. The NFL, while not having a farm system has always had rival leagues such as the XFL, CFL, and AFL. So what about the National Basketball Association?

 

The NBA’s D-League has been around for 12 years, but currently the NBA teams are starting to realize the importance of its value. It is hard to find minutes for young players in the NBA without hurting a teams record. The league is expected to expand to 30 teams sooner rather than later. All roads are leading to a rise in salaries for players so there are many opportunities that will present itself. Will the best high school players opt to play in the D-League rather than going to play at college for a year? Will this league take off and attract more and more fans who want to see the next Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan? There is a very good chance of this happening and my question is what big company will be the first to sponsor this league? I personally believe that the NBA D-League has an opportunity to take off and attract a whole new fan-base, those who love college basketball. If the players who graduate college are not yet ready for the NBA join the D-League along with the top high school players in the nation, that makes for great competition and a perfect opportunity for the NBA to gain revenue.