NBA Gatorade League: New Name, Same Insulting Salaries
For years, the NBA D-League has driven young talent away with its absurd salary payouts and tremendous benefits. Let’s take a look at how the D-League’s flaws will always stand out, even under the introduction of their new entitlement sponsor, Gatorade.
Earlier this year, the NBA announced the rebranding of its development league into what will now be famed as the NBA Gatorade League — or for short, the G-League. To many, the change of branding and introduction of the league’s first prominent sponsor may not seem like much. But, in reality, the naming of the Gatorade League marks the first time a U.S. professional sports league has its name associated with an entitlement partner. In late 2014, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced his priority to get the Development League situated with a rock-solid sponsor, but has the billion dollar association missed a chance at improving the main deficiency of its already flawed minor league? The most candid answer is yes.
Ever since my start in covering the NBA’s Development League, I have been a strong advocate for higher salaries and benefits for the athletes. Interview after interview with present and past players of the league, I have found myself pretty familiar with how hard these young men work with one goal in mind: the NBA.
Struggling to get by, G-League prospects push towards the life-long dream of playing in the most fashioned basketball league in the world, all the while making a salary that just passes the likes of the national poverty line. Twenty-two games make up a standard G-League season, allowing fans, pundits, and scouts to get a close look at the young ballers that are one step away from the NBA, all the while making less than $25,000 per year.
As of last season, the league distributed payouts to athletes based on two salary tiers, $19,000 and $25,000. Pre-2017, the league had a third tier based around a value of $13,000, but with heavy influential backlash from fans, association representatives, and advocates of the league, the NBA was forced to abolish the idea of a tier so low. Carmelo Anthony, a huge advocate for the league in the past, agrees the G-League needs an entire re-branding, as well as prioritizing efficient development for the players. There’s absolutely no doubt that most of the players in the league as of now would succeed playing overseas making up to ten times what they make now, so why are prospects letting themselves make such unbearable salaries?
It’s quite simple actually: having a direct relationship between player and NBA parent teams give G-Leaguers max exposure, and more of a chance to be recognized. With the introduction of last season’s new collective bargaining agreement, NBA teams can create two roster slots dedicated specifically to G-League players who show promise, but aren’t ready for a full time shot in the association. These middleman “liaisons” will usually make a comfortable $70,000 per year, taking turns playing for the parent and affiliate team. Roles like these show a great deal of improvement for the league, as it allows players to get an insight of the do-or-die nature of the NBA, all the while being inspired to further develop themselves with their current G-League squads.
To fix the current salary structure, it would take a lot more than just a revised CBA and new salary value tiers — in fact, that would be highly imaginative. With the way the league is run as of now, players are paid directly by the league and not by their teams. This means the only way players could expect to see a future change and improvement in their own payouts, they may have to take matters into their own hands. Unionizing has always been an active idea throughout the league writing community. Players taking a stand together could gain a lot of attention from the NBA’s player association. While the NBPA has discussed renovations for the league before, they’ve never publicly addressed the flawed salary system.
For now, my advice to all hardworking G-Leaguers struggling with pay rates is to endure. Endurance is the key to the current layout of the league, and while European ball may seem enticing, if your ultimate goal is the NBA, then stay where you are. Given its flaws are dreadful, the opportunity the league provides is vital, and is one of the most prominent ways a young baller can be noticed if they intend to play in the most incomparable basketball league in the world, the NBA.
