What is the difference between the G League and the D League in the NBA? Simply put, the D League is the former G League, having been officially changed in 2017.
The change comes from a multi-year partnership between the organization and Gatorade, officially modifying the name from the NBA Development League, or D-League, to the NBA Gatorade League. Not too many other changes transpired because of the rebranding, but since 2017, the league has expanded its grasp by relocating and creating additional franchises around the US.
When was the D-League Created?
The Development League was created in 2005, and was preceded by an organization called the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), which was created in 2001. The NBDL existed for four seasons before transforming into the D-League. The original league consisted of only eight franchises, as mentioned below:
| NBDL Team Name | Stadium and State |
| North Charleston Lowgators | North Charleston Coliseum, North Carolina |
| Greenville Groove | Bon Secours Wellness Arena, South Carolina |
| Columbus Riverdragons | Columbus Civic Center, Georgia |
| Mobile Revelers | Mobile Civic Center, Alabama |
| Huntsville Flight | Von Braun Center, Alabama |
| Asheville Altitude | Asheville Civic Center, North Carolina |
| Fayetteville Patriots | Cumberland County Crown Coliseum, North Carolina |
| Roanoke Dazzle | Roanoke Civic Center, Virginia |
The NBDL was not actually an NBA-owned organization, which is why none of the teams listed above were originally NBA affiliates. Once the NBDL turned into the D-League, NBA franchises began partnering with these minor league teams to broaden their reach of attaining professional talent.
Why did the NBA Change the D-League to the G-League?
The main benefit of the league’s partnership with Gatorade, and subsequent renaming to the Gatorade League, is that its brand is now tied with that of the beverage company. It allows the basketball organization to leverage Gatorade’s marketing and advertising for its own promotion.
And this promotion goes two ways; as the G-League grows in both size and popularity, not only will fans be more inclined to purchase the merchandise that their favorite players wear, but they will also be attending more games (where Gatorade will be selling their food and beverages).
Additionally, teams are allowed to partner with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) to create customized training regimens for each player. GSSI will also be able to study how nutrition affects high-caliber athletes at different levels of physical activity.
Are any of the original NBDL teams still around in the G-League?
Unfortunately, none of the original eight NBDL teams are still in the league under the same management. Four of the eight were shut down by the league itself, only a few years after they were first chartered. Intuitively, the major reason these teams were disbanded was because their games had low attendance and higher operating costs (i.e. teams were not making any significant profit). The remaining teams were eventually relocated and renamed.
North Charleston Lowgators
The North Charleston Lowgators (renamed to the Charleston Lowgators in the fall of 2003) became the Florida Flame in 2004. The team subsequently became affiliated with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Orlando Magic for the 2005/06 season. This would be the team’s last season before the franchise dissolved; in 2006, the team temporarily shut down operations because they did not have a home arena, and therefore, nowhere to play. They ultimately folded all operations in the latter half of 2007.
Asheville Altitude
The Asheville Altitude became the Tulsa 66ers in 2005. For the 66ers’ first season, they became affiliated with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and The New Orleans Hornets (now the New Orleans Pelicans). The team was purchased by the owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, making it the third franchise to be purchased by an NBA team (The Los Angeles D-Fenders and Austin Toros were purchased by the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, respectively).
After the 2013/14 season, the team needed a stadium to play in for the following year. After the team’s owners felt that stadiums in the Tulsa area were not suitable, the team moved to Oklahoma City. They played at the Cox Convention Center, right across the street from the OKC Thunder’s stadium. This is when the team changed their name from the 66ers to the Blue. In 2021, the team moved to the Paycom Center, the same stadium that the OKC Thunder play in.
Columbus Riverdragons
The Columbus Riverdragons were relocated to Austin, Texas in 2005 and renamed to the Austin Toros. In 2007, the Toros were purchased by the San Antonio Spurs. After seven seasons, the team subsequently changed their name to the Austin Spurs in 2014 (to be more in line with their parent NBA team).
Huntsville Flight
The Huntsville Flight were relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2005 and renamed to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. The team was affiliated with several NBA franchises, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, New Orleans Hornets (now New Orleans Pelicans), Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Seattle Supersonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), and the Utah Jazz. The team played in the city for five seasons before moving to New Mexico and being renamed to the New Mexico Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds had a relatively lackluster performance while in these two cities and were subsequently purchased by the Cavaliers, relocating to Canton, Ohio and was named the Canton Charge. In 2021, the Cavaliers chose not to renew their lease they had in Canton and decided to move their minor league team to Cleveland, changing their name to the Cleveland Charge and playing at the Wolstein Center.