Will the NBA's Developmental League Overshadow
Minor League Basketball?

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New York - 11/01/00 - The National Basketball Association confirmed that it will proceed with the development of its own league, the National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL) which will most likely open its doors in November of 2001.

The NDBL will not include any teams from the existing minor leagues. Plans are to place eight teams in the Southwest, in mid-sized cities which do not have Division 1 NCAA teams or other minor league franchises. Brian McIntire, spokesperson for the NBA, would not elaborate on where the franchises would be located, or who would own them.

"There will be announcements on this later in the year, maybe as early as late November or early December," McIntire said.

The NBDL will be the only "official" developmental league for the NBA, sources say, pulling the plug on the multi-year relationship with the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).

Matthew Fendon, spokesperson for the CBA, said "We're optimistic about renewing our agreement with the NBA." The CBA is the official developmental league, although its teams do not have direct ties to particular NBA franchises, nor do they have any players under direct contract by NBA teams.

Commissioner Stern had approached CBA-owner Isiah Thomas about buying the league outright last year, but Thomas held out for more money, and the deal eventually crumbled. The International Basketball League (IBL), the United States Basketball League (USBL), the upcoming ABA-2000, and the National Rookie League have all held informal talks with the NBA about participating in a broader minor league system.

Indications from the NBA office in New York today, however, are that any hope of incorporating these leagues into a cohesive system is dead.

The NBA will recruit heavily from the NBDL, and bring the power of its mammoth marketing deals into the minor league mix, as well as the recruiting credibility with star talent of the second tier. McIntire noted, however, that the NBA will not restrict its teams to recruit exclusively from the NBDL.

Under the plan, there still will be no official affiliations between teams, or optioning down of the rights of any player.

The NBDL will have a minimum draft age of 20, unless a player has relinquished college eligibility, at which point the minimum age would drop to 18 years of age.

"Over 1600 U.S. Citizens play professional basketball over the course of a season across the world," McIntire said. "The NBDL will be an avenue for many of the top players to stay in the country and develop their skills."

This pitch has been the same one made by the IBL and the ABA-2000, all seeking that "notch below" player.

"The NBDL will also be a developmental league for front office personal, public relations, and media people," McIntire stated, "It will be staffed and run separately from the NBA's organization."

The IBL and the CBA continue to evaluate their positions in the light of this new NBA offering, sources tell MLN.

"We want all of the minor leagues to succeed, because it's good for professional basketball," said the NBA spokesperson. While that outward game face may project this as a positive move by the NBA, the NBDL development will continue to press hard on the pool of quality players available to all of the leagues and teams.

The NBDL's lack of ties between teams and anything that resembles the minor league systems in baseball or hockey, and a really unattractive set of initials, is a far cry from the cohesive minor league basketball system thumbnailed by NBA Commissioner Stern in interviews and sideline sidebars.

Many in the front office of the existing minor league franchises don't think that the NBA's strong pronouncement on the NBDL is still the final word on the shape of minor league basketball. "This isn't over yet," commented IBL New Mexico Slam P.R. Director Terry Stembridge, Jr., who moved recently from similar duties at the CBA Idaho Stampede franchise. His views were shared by many others in the front offices of minor league basketball polled by MLN today.

The IBL, USBL, and NRL were unavailable for official comment on this article.

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