You lose out on every opportunity you don’t take. However, the only way to enhance your jump shot is through correcting your technique. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is beginning to realize that a decision his league made a few years ago, which seemed promising at the time, was bound to fail.
In 2020, prior to the implementation of NIL, many individuals in the basketball community bought into the hype and believed that the sport was on the brink of change due to the choices made by two young players, Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd. Fast forward to the recent weekend, and Silver seems to now understand why that belief was never justified.
“I believe that, given the circumstances, we are currently reevaluating Team Ignite,” stated Silver during his annual All-Star Weekend press conference. “Because now, those same players who were against being one-and-done players because they felt it was unfair and wanted the opportunity to not only earn a living playing basketball, but also engage in commercial deals that were unavailable to them in college, hire professional agents, and have opportunities that were previously inaccessible to them in college – all of those opportunities are now available to them.
“I’m uncertain about the future of Team Ignite, as there used to be a gap in the market that we thought we were filling by establishing the team. Now, my focus is shifting towards the earlier development of these players.”
When the G League Ignite Team was launched in 2018, it was intended to be an attractive alternative for top prospects who weren’t particularly interested in being unpaid college athletes. The team offered lucrative salaries to three or four players, who would compete and train alongside experienced professionals in the G League for a season before becoming top picks in the NBA Draft. In theory, this was the plan. However, in reality, these young athletes would be well-compensated teenagers living alone in apartments, isolated from their friends and peers who were enjoying the college experience. They would face off against grown men on the court, in unfamiliar gyms that few had ever heard of, as the G League only televised a handful of games each year.
While they gained an advantage in terms of training and development, they were also out of sight and out of mind. Meanwhile, their friends at prestigious universities such as Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina were playing on national television, preparing for March Madness.
Oh, and there was a significant catch – if they got injured or went undrafted, nobody held their “rights,” and they weren’t guaranteed another contract with the Ignite team. In college, if similar circumstances arose, they could simply return for a second or third year. With the G League option, there was no legitimate backup plan.
“I wanted to improve overall and prepare myself for the NBA, as that’s my ultimate goal,” Green explained to Yahoo Sports in 2020, as he opted for the professional route that came with a salary exceeding $500,000, instead of choosing between Memphis and Auburn. “Everything was meticulously planned and set up for my success. Ultimately, I believe this was the right decision. I can still go back to college and complete my education. So, it’s not like I’m missing out on the college experience, because I can return whenever necessary. Education is highly valued in my family.”
On the same day, it was reported that Todd, a highly-rated recruit and former Michigan commit, would be joining Green with the G League Ignite. Fans and members of the media were in an uproar, convinced that this marked the demise of college basketball, especially following the FBI investigation.
Four years later, those individuals are left embarrassed.
Over the years, the team has produced top draft picks such as Scoot Henderson (No. 3 in 2023), Dyson Daniels (No. 8 in 2022), and Green (No. 3 in 2021). Green, in particular, has been the most successful player to emerge from the team, currently serving as the second option for the Houston Rockets, who hold a 24-30 record and rank third in their division. Todd, on the other hand, was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft and has only played a few games in the league. He has also spent time with the Capital City Go-Go, returning to where he started – the G League. This season, the G League Ignite team has a record of 6-31.
A year after Green and Todd rejected college basketball, the landscape of collegiate sports changed forever with the introduction of NIL. This allowed athletes to prolong their college careers, as those with potential to go pro now had financial support. With an influx of international players entering the league and the NCAA Tournament still acting as a platform for stardom, the allure of the G League Ignite quickly faded away. It was never the additional option that many believed it to be, as it was always just a shortcut. It offered quick money, but as they say, easy come, easy go.
According to the Source deadspin.com