Sophomore Jinx? 
The NBDL Enters Its Second Season With Hopes Of Expanding The League's Fan Base.

Ray Z.Perea

7.30.02 - Kent Partridge is the National Basketball Developmental League voice for the 2002-03 season.  The announcement came from President Philip Evans in July.  Partridges' new official title will be Director of Communications.

Partridge brings plenty of public relation experience to the NBDL table.  He has delved into new leagues before, serving as Director of Public Relations for an XFL team.

Kent also logged time at the college ranks as Director of Media Relations for Texas Tech.  At Auburn he served as the Director of Media and Public Relations where he worked for nine years in the Sports Information Department.

The new Director of Communications will serve as chief spokesperson for the league, and manage the league's publicity initiatives.

Partridge is an NBDL product.  He acted as the Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the NBDL's Charleston Lowgators outfit in the leagues inaugural season.

The West Alabama alum also acted as head broadcast coordinator during nationally televised D-League games.

The league will be entering its second season looking to improve on things that were done right, as well as smoothing some rough edges out that the league experienced in the first go around.

"We want to hone down things from last year, and get things rolling in the right direction", Partridge told MLN.

Putting fans in the seats is the number one priority in any minor league.  The way teams go about doing this may determine the leagues life span. 

Partridge points to a couple of things that should contribute to the D-League building on to the current fan base. 

Additional equity in each NBDL market is one. 

Extra money should enable each organization to be more creative with promotion ideas.   The result can generate more of a "buzz" in each NBDL city. 

The NBDL is not looking to give its product away.  Two-thousand paid fans per game would make NBDL officials smile.

In order to do this the NBDL will be cutting the price of each "ducket" sold.

"There will be an adjustment in ticket prices this year. Ten-or-twelve dollars would get a fan into a game last year. This year markets will offer tickets for about eight dollars per-contest", Partridge says.

Another factor that could put fans in NBDL venues would be team affiliations.

Similar to what Major League Baseball does with its minor leagues.

Knowing that a D-League team is directly connected with a NBA franchise would be an automatic fan magnet. 

The idea that fans are getting a first glance at the next "MJ", or "Dr. J ", and not having to give up a pay-check to do it seems natural.

This will not happen in the near future. 

Simple math will tell you this.  Eight teams in the D-League, and twenty-nine teams in the association will disqualify the notion.

"Affiliation would be great for the fans, but it would not help the players", Partridge says.  "Right now a player in the NBDL can sign with any of the twenty-nine NBA teams, if affiliation would take place that would lock in those players to that one specific team".

The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella.

The minor basketball league serves as one of many sources of on-court talent for the NBA.

Eight D-League players and one head coach were called up to the National Basketball Association during the NBDL's 2001-02 season. 

Kent Partridge will have his hands full this year taking on his new position. 

With the NBA's artillery he will be able to pull the trigger on targets that will make the NBDL even better in its sophomore campaign.