It’s the end of an era. After a few years of experimentation, the NBA is shutting down one of its major programs. The NBA G League Ignite was ended after four years of mixed success. The G League brought about players like Houston Rockets star Jalen Green and Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy. It was certainly an interesting project by the NBA, but it had to go.
Why is that, though? In a press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver talked about why the Ignite program was shut down, per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel. Silver said that the Ignite has basically served its purpose, and that it was useless to compete with other colleges now with much better programs and such.
“Adam Silver says the G League Ignite “served its purpose.” “We felt like it didn’t make a sense to compete against these top college programs that have better facilities, top-notch coaching, charter airfare… Pulling back on Team Ignite was just the beginning.””
The NBA G League Ignite was initially created as a way for high school and college prospects to get financially compensated while training for a chance to get drafted. At the time, it was a novel idea. The NCAA back then disallowed players from getting paid. With the NCAA adopting new NIL rules recently, though, the need for a team like the Ignite has diminished significantly. Players are now able to get paid in endorsement deals while playing for a competitive university.
Other notable alumni of the G League Ignite team include Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Portland Trail Blazers forward Scoot Henderson, and New Orleans Pelicans center Dyson Daniels.
NBA’s G-League Program and Future Plans
As mentioned, the NBA developed the G League as an alternative for NBA prospects to get into the NBA and boost their draft stock outside of the college scene. Aside from the NIL era, another reason for the dissolution of the Ignite is the emergence of other options for prospects.
The Overtime Elite league is one of the many leagues around the nation that gives players a chance to go to the pros and boost their draft stock before heading to the NBA. As such, the league feels no need to continue this program anymore. As Silver mentioned, they filled a role before… and now other parties are stepping in. Here’s G-League President Shareef Abdur-Raheem’s statement when the shutdown was first announced.
“Four years ago, we started Ignite to fill a void in the basketball landscape, and I’m proud of the contributions we were able to make to that ecosystem,” said Abdur-Rahim. “With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to general manager Anthony McClish, head coach Jason Hart and their staff and to each player who wore an Ignite jersey. As ever, the G League’s commitment to developing top NBA talent and helping players achieve their NBA dreams is unwavering.”
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