Well, desert sports fans, we’ve got something new to learn about: the NBA G League.
Just as we were starting to feel proud of ourselves for knowing how the American Hockey League works, along come the Coachella Valley Lakers to give us a new fun homework assignment.
The arrival of the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League team was something that had been discussed loosely for more than a year, but came together quickly in the past month, according to John Page, the Senior VP of Oak View Group and Acrisure Arena. It helped that the Lakers — the big-league ones — have played in the valley before.
“Over a year ago, I had some initial discussion just kind of following the success of our (2024) preseason games, and we talked about loose ideas about the concept and what would make sense and then just kind of tabled it. And then it picked up really in earnest just three or four weeks ago,” Page said. “We had some discussions about what the model would look like, how it would work, kind of understanding what their needs would be from a player perspective, practice facility, etc. There’s still a lot of details to work out, but they certainly believe in the Coachella Valley, as do we, and having yet another tenant team I think is huge for us and huge for all the residents here.”
As members of “all the residents here,” it’s time for us to learn about the G League together, and though we won’t see our Coachella Valley Lakes in action until November, it’s never too early to start brushing up. Let’s dive in.
What does the G stand for in NBA G League?
I posed this same question to my colleagues and some of the guesses were “gnome” and “good luck.” While I like the visual of the first and the positivity of the second, those guesses were wrong.
The G stands for Gatorade, of all things. The league used to be called the NBA Developmental League, but Gatorade bought the naming rights before the 2017-18 season.
Another misconception is that a player from the G League does well and then moves up to the F League and then the E League before finally moving up to the A League and then the NBA. That is logical, but wrong. The G League is one step from the NBA, not seven steps, just like the AHL is one step from the NHL.
When is the G League season and how many games is it?
The G league begins in early November and bleeds into April, with the team playing 50 games before an abbreviated playoffs if they qualify. There is a 36-game “regular season” and 14 games that are part of an in-season tournament.
How many games will be played at Acrisure Arena?
Last year, the team that is now the Coachella Valley Lakers played 24 home games. So desert fans can expect something close to that number. By comparison, the Firebirds play 36 regular-season home games from October to April.
How does the G League postseason work?
The top eight teams in the west and the top eight teams in the east make the playoffs. It’s a quick postseason, with just single do-or-die games, no series — think the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament bracket — right up until the final. Once the championship matchup is set, those two teams play a best-of-3 series.
Does every NBA team have a G League team?
Yes. There are 30 NBA teams each with a G League affiliate, usually based on geographical proximity, but not always. There are actually 31 G League teams because there is a team from Mexico City, the Capitanes, who also play but are not affiliated with an NBA team.
Do any G League teams have fun names?
There are some fun names and only 11 of the 30 share their NBA team’s name like the Coachella Valley Lakers do. You’ve got the Rip City Remix (Portland Trail Blazers), the Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards), Noblesville Boom (Indiana Pacers) and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets) to name a few.
The Kraken-Firebirds Award for the NBA team farthest away from its G League team geographically goes to the Denver Nuggets, whose affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold are 1,165 miles away in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What style of play can we expect in the G League?
Fans can expect lots of baskets, buckets, hoops, goals — whatever you like to call a basketball going through a hoop. The G League is a very high-scoring league. The Lakers averaged 122.3 points per game last year, the third most in the league. Remember, these are players trying to make a statement, so you’ll see fast action and offensively motivated hoopsters.
How much will Coachella Valley Lakers tickets cost?
In general, a G League game is an inexpensive ticket. A quick random sampling of some ticket prices across the league show numbers like the San Diego Clippers ($19), the Wisconsin Herd ($12), the Santa Cruz Warriors ($30) and the Greensboro Swarm ($18).
Page said those decisions haven’t been made and first they will see how many season-ticket deposits they get — which you can apply for now — and then start formulating a plan.
“We’re still gathering information when it comes to ticket costs through the G League and their support division just so we can understand everything wen we go to market,” Page said. “We’re still working through it all and doing our research to make sure we’re doing the right thing for everybody.”
Who will play for the Coachella Valley Lakers?
The typical G League player is a young player between 21-25. It’s a player that has either been drafted by the Lakers or signed as a free agent by the Lakers but isn’t quite good enough to be on the NBA roster.
At its heart, just like the AHL for hockey players, the NBA G League is a developmental league. These players are here to be coached up, get better and stronger and show they are worthy of being an LA Laker.
Last year, Bronny James spent a lot of time on the G League team when he wasn’t up with his old man on the NBA Lakers. Other NBA stars have gotten their start in the G League, such as the Lakers’ Austin Reaves. Other NBA stars like Rudy Gobert and Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet all started as G Leaguers.
So there you have it. You’ve gone from knowing nothing about the G League, to knowing the basics. It will be fascinating to watch how this team coexists with the Firebirds and how much desert sports fans choose to invest into their newest pro team.
Think about it. In 2021, you had no pro teams, now you have two. And, who knows? If this all-Gnome basketball team idea takes off, maybe a third is on the way. But for now, let’s just focus on our Lakers.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The Coachella Valley Lakers are coming. So what is the NBA G League?
Reporting by Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
