Introducing: The NBA G-League

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The NBA announced this past week that they will be renaming their Development League to the Gatorade League. The league has been looking for a name sponsor for quite some time now. So you wonder- what does this new deal mean for the players? This new sponsorship will allow players to have access to cutting edge technology being developed at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). According to the GSSI site, the institute "is committed to helping athletes optimize their health and performance through research and education in hydration and nutrition science". More importantly, this partnership should create the type of financial profit that will allow the league to substantially increase player’s salaries. While the D-Leguae is one of the best avenues for prospects aiming for the NBA, a lot of players are deterred by the low salaries and opt-out of joining the league.

According to The Step Back's, Chris Reichert, D-Leaguers will receive $19,500 (B-Level) and $26,000 (A-Level) during the 2016-2017 seasons. This may be considered minuscule compared to the six-figure contracts that players could receive by joining elite leagues in Asia or Europe. In America, wages are so low that the B-Level contract is barely above the United States minimum wage of $15,080. Quite frankly, I'm unsure as to how the D-League has any players at all! It will be interesting to see how current and future players negotiate their contracts going forward considering the new Gatorade deal. Anything less than $35,000 is completely unacceptable.

BTB Note: Know your worth. Don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve.

#NBA #Gatorade #DLeguae #GLeague