2021–22 NBA G League season

The 2021–22 NBA G League season is the 21st season of the NBA G League, the official minor league basketball organization owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The prior season, the league played a shortened season with all games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida, in similar to the 2020 NBA Bubble due to the ongoing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 17 of the 28 teams from the previous season, plus the new NBA G League Ignite development team, chose to participate.[1][2] The 2021–22 season consists of the Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22 with all 30 teams participating. Following the showcase, 28 of the league's teams began a traditional regular season from December 27 to April 2 followed by playoffs.[3]

2021–22 NBA G League season
LeagueNBA G League
SportBasketball
DurationNovember 5, 2021 – April 2, 2022
Number of teams30
Draft
Top draft pickShamorie Ponds
Picked byDelaware Blue Coats
Regular season

League changes

The NBA G League added one new team, had three teams relocate, and two teams rebrand for the 2021–22 season:

Additionally, the Westchester Knicks temporarily relocated their home games from White Plains, New York, to Bridgeport, Connecticut, as their home arena, the Westchester County Center, was still being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.[10]

The league changed its season format to be played in two stages: a 14-game Showcase Cup and then a 36-game regular season with a playoff. All 30 teams are scheduled to play in the Showcase Cup that ends with the NBA G League Winter Showcase on the weekend of December 19 to 22. The regular season then commences on December 27 with the league standings reset for qualifying for the playoffs. The NBA G League Ignite and Capitanes de Ciudad de México will not participate in the regular season or playoffs, but will play a few exhibition games that do not count towards the other teams standings.[3]

Other changes

This season is the first for Wilson as the G League's official ball brand. On May 14, 2020, the NBA announced a multi-year partnership with Wilson as the manufacturer and supplier of G League game balls,[11] to succeed Spalding, which supplied the league since 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).[12]

Awards

Player of the Week
DatePlayer
November 9–16Saben Lee[13]

Notable occurrences

References
  1. "NBA G League To Begin Play at Disney In February". NBA G League. January 8, 2021.
  2. "Back to the Bubble: G League Season Will Be Played at Disney". SI.com. January 8, 2021.
  3. "NBA G League Tips off 2021-22 Season on November 5 with Innovative New Format". OurSports Central. September 14, 2021.
  4. "NBA G League Expands to Mexico City in Landmark Partnership with Capitanes". NBA.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  5. "NBA G League's Canton Charge moving to downtown Cleveland, starting with upcoming season". CantonRep.com. June 9, 2021.
  6. "Birmingham Squadron selected as team name for New Orleans Pelicans G League affiliate". New Orleans Pelicans. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  7. "Maine Red Claws Renamed Maine Celtics". OurSports Central. May 24, 2021.
  8. "Grand Rapids Drive Announce New Name And Logo". NBAGrandRapids.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  9. "Grand Rapids Drive rebrands as Gold, now affiliated with Denver Nuggets". www.detroitnews.com. July 7, 2021.
  10. "Westchester Knicks Announce Home Games to be Played at Webster Bank Arena". OurSports Central. October 9, 2021.
  11. "Wilson to become official game ball of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League". NBA.com (Press release). May 14, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  12. "National Basketball Development League Announces Inaugural". Bloomberg. Business Wire. November 15, 2001. Retrieved October 18, 2021. The NBDL will use the Spalding NBA Infusion basketball, a new basketball that can be inflated with a Micro-Pump(TM) that is incorporated into the ball, as the league's official game ball, it was also announced today.
  13. "Detroit Pistons guard Saben Lee earns G League Player of the Week". MLive. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  14. "Top International Prospect Fanbo Zeng Signs With NBA G League Ignite". NBA G League. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
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