D-League

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Founded in 2001, the NBA D-League has been a proving ground for elite young talent. About a third of all current NBA players have spent some time in the D-League. Here’s a look at just some of the former players who have spent significant time in the D-League who have gone on to make an impact in the NBA.

Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs (Reno Bighorns)

Nowadays, most NBA fans know Danny Green as the Spurs’ sweet-shooting small forward, an athletic 6-6 shooter out of North Carolina who plays a major part in San Antonio’s success. He played a key role in the Spurs’ 2014 NBA title and 2013 Finals appearance, including hitting seven three pointers in Game 3 of the 2013 Finals against Miami.

But before he was a major contributor to an NBA championship team, Green starred in the D-League. Drafted in 2009 by the Cavs, Green was waived after his rookie season and went to ply his trade for the Reno Bighorns, where he averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds in 16 games, catching the eye of the Spurs. The rest is history./p&gt;

Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (Reno Bighorns, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Iowa Energy)

Whiteside, one of the most talented and promising young centers in the NBA, burst onto the NBA scene in 2015-16, leading the league in blocks and making the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The 26-year-old 7 footer’s otherworldly athleticism and timing contributed to his emerging as a bright young star for the Heat.

Prior to his explosion onto the NBA scene, however, Whiteside was a fixture in the D-League, appearing in 65 games for four different D-League clubs. In his time in the D-League, Whiteside showed flashes of his future potential, averaging 7.2 points, 5.5 boards and 2.3 blocks per game in less than 14 minutes per game.

Shaun Livingston, Golden State Warriors (Tulsa 66ers)

Shaun Livingston, an Illinois prep hoops legend, was drafted 4th overall by the Clippers in the 2004 NBA Draft and began his career as a budding star, a 6-7 point guard with otherworldly court vision. Tragically, Livingston found his career in jeopardy after a horrific leg injury in a game against Charlotte in February of 2007.

After resuming basketball activities more than a year later and beginning the road to recovery, Livingston signed a contract in 2009 with the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. Livingston spent 11 games with the 66ers, averaging more than 9 points and six assists and parlaying that performance into a contract with the Thunder. Livingston has been working his way back up the NBA ranks ever since, including most recently making a huge impact on the national stage in Game 1 of this year’s NBA Finals. Livingston is the perfect example of an immensely talented player who suffered a catastrophic injury and used the D-League to help him get back to the level he is today, playing a key role on one of the league’s best teams.

Jeremy Lin, Charlotte Hornets (Reno Bighorns, Erie Bayhawks)

In 2010, before Lin became an international star with the Knicks, and before he became an NBA mainstay guard, Lin was a rookie with the Golden State Warriors who was assigned to the Reno Bighorns for much of his first season. Lin played in 20 games for Reno (and later in one more for Erie), finishing his D-League career with a scoring average of more than 20 points per game. Fans may not have known it at the time, but those watching the D-League at the time were getting an early look at Linsanity.

Gerald Green, Miami Heat (LA D-Fenders, Fayetteville Patriots, Florida Flame)

The athletic and talented former NBA Slam Dunk champ has had an up and down career, getting drafted in the first round in 2005 straight out of high school.  After playing a handful of games for the now-defunct Fayetteville and Florida D-League franchises, Green bounced back to the NBA only to drop back out of the league after a few seasons with Houston, Minnesota and Dallas.

Looking like his NBA career was over, Green spent a few years playing overseas, returning to the States in 2011 and signing on with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Calling it his “last opportunity to prove myself”, Green used the D-League as a springboard back to the NBA. In 22 games with the D-Fenders, Green averaged over 19 points 4.5 boards per game, showcasing a good attitude and professionalism that allowed him to take advantage of the natural skills he possessed. His improvements in the D-League eventually led to a call from the New Jersey Nets, where he showed enough to earn another NBA contract. Green now plays a major role for a playoff team, providing athleticism and scoring punch as a swingman for the Miami Heat.

Cory Joseph, Toronto Raptors (Austin Toros)

Before point guard Cory Joseph became a fan favorite in Toronto as only the second Canadian player to ever wear a Raptors jersey, he was a key piece to the Spurs bench unit that helped San Antonio win the 2014 NBA championship. During his time in San Antonio however, Joseph worked on his game with the Spurs’ D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros.

Joseph played 40 games over two seasons with the Toros, posting career D-League averages of 17.4 points, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game and earning All-D League Second Team honors in 2013. The Spurs smartly used the D-League to develop Joseph’s game, and Joseph has taken those lessons from San Antonio – and Austin – and has created a spot for himself in the NBA as a crafty, smart point guard.

Troy Daniels, Charlotte Hornets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Troy Daniels is the ultimate long range specialist, a player who has crafted a nice NBA career for three teams (Timberwolves, Rockets and Hornets) as a sharpshooter from downtown. But in terms of D-League storybook events, few things top Daniels’ debut for the Rockets.

After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, Daniels signed on to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ D-League club, where he made his name as a marksman, breaking the D-League single season record for three pointers made in 2014 and being named to the D-League All-Third Team.

Daniels’ play earned him a call up to the Rockets club, where he made their playoff roster as a guy at the end of the bench. With the Rockets in desperation mode, down 2-0 to Portland in their first-round series and with Game 3 tied in overtime with 20 seconds left, a combination of foul trouble and fatigue saw Daniels check into the game. After a mad scramble and a loose ball, Daniels stepped up and buried the go-ahead three-pointer that ultimately won the Rockets the game.

While many players have gone from the D-League to making an impact in the NBA, few players had quite as an immediate impact as Troy Daniels, who went from D-League player to making a game-winning triple in the NBA playoffs in a matter of days.

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Seven D-League players who have made an NBA impact

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Windy City Bulls Fan Fest

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Photo Gallery: Windy City Bulls Fan Fest

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The Windy City Bulls are here!

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Photo Gallery: Windy City Bulls Name Reveal

(CHICAGO) – The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team’s new NBA D-League franchise will be called the Windy City Bulls. 

“The Windy City Bulls will build on the great traditions of the Chicago Bulls and bring the enjoyment and love of the game of basketball to fans in the Northwest Suburbs,” said Chicago Bulls President &amp; COO Michael Reinsdorf.  “Windy City Bulls emerged as a fan favorite during our ‘Name the Team’ campaign earlier this season, and we thank the thousands of fans who helped us select a name that creates a strong connection to the region, reflects our civic pride, and extends the reach of the Bulls brand.”

The team name and logo were revealed today in front of more than 600 students from Eisenhower Junior High School located in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The Bulls coordinated with the school’s senior leaders to surprise the students with the reveal, which included a trivia game followed by a Windy City Bulls-themed pep assembly. T-shirts with the new team logo were waiting for all the students when they returned to their classrooms after the assembly. Windy City Bulls President Brad Seymour and Bulls entertainers, including Benny the Bull, the Luvabulls and the Incredibulls joined the festivities. 

“It was important for us to announce the team name in our new community,” said Seymour. “We want to thank Eisenhower Junior High School for hosting a fantastic reveal and pep assembly. There were a lot of future Windy City Bulls fans in the gymnasium today, and we look forward to building relationships with them and every basketball fan in the region.”

The Windy City Bulls primary logo features design elements that convey a new brand personality for the D-League team while maintaining a connection with the iconic Chicago Bulls logo. The overall shape of the Bull head has been altered to incorporate a larger and wider set of bull horns with the removal of the red tips. The brow line dips down in the center, and the three horizontal lines were shaped to form the lines of a basketball. The Windy City Bulls wordmark anchors the logo, with the word “BULLS” in the same font as the Chicago Bulls logo. The secondary logo shows the profile view of the Bull head integrated into the outline of the state of Illinois to incorporate a more regional appeal. The primary branding colors are red and black, with metallic silver serving as an accent. The Chicago Bulls Creative Services department designed all of the logos.

The team selected the name following a two-round “Name the Team” campaign, which was presented by BMO Harris Bank. Nearly 6,000 fans participated in the campaign. In the first round, fans were invited to suggest names for the team. During the second round, fans were encouraged to select their favorite team name from three finalists, including Windy City Bulls. The results of the second round were incorporated into the selection process of the final team name, which was conducted by a cross section of Chicago Bulls staff members representing departments across the organization.

The Windy City Bulls will begin play with the 2016-17 season and will host 24 home games at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. For more updates on Windy City Bulls news and events, please visit www.bulls.com/dleague or follow the team on Twitter @windycitybulls and Instagram @windycitybulls. Fans interested in purchasing Windy City Bulls season tickets can visit www.bulls.com/dleague or call (847) 396-7070 to place a non-refundable deposit of $50 to gain season-ticket priority.

To celebrate the Windy City Bulls’ arrival in Hoffman Estates, Ill., the team will host a Fan Fest at Sears Centre Arena on Sunday, March 13. Local residents are encouraged to attend the event and enjoy activities for all ages, including face painting, a mechanical bull ride, pictures with the Bulls’ six NBA Championship trophies, a meet and greet with Bulls ambassadors and entertainers, and a variety of basketball games, among others. Parking and admission are free. Pre-registration is preferred at www.bulls.com/dleague. By pre-registering for the event, fans will have the opportunity to win exclusive autographed merchandise.

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Windy City Bulls revealed today as name of new Chicago Bulls NBA D-League team

(CHICAGO) – The Chicago Bulls announced today that Brad Seymour, a minor league sports veteran with more than 20 years of team experience, has been named President of the Chicago Bulls’ new NBA D-League team. Seymour will officially join the organization on February 22, 2016.

“We are very excited to welcome Brad Seymour to the role and into the Chicago Bulls family. The wealth of experience that Brad brings will ensure that we achieve our goal of creating a first-class organization in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. During the interview process, we were impressed with both his business acumen and the importance he places on building relationships with the community. Brad will be a great ambassador and leader for our new team,” said Michael Reinsdorf, President and COO, Chicago Bulls.  

“It is an honor to join the Chicago Bulls and to have the privilege of establishing an organization that will be an active member of the community while expanding the Bulls experience to the Northwest Suburbs”, said Seymour. “I look forward to working with a great leadership team as we embrace the challenge of creating memorable opportunities for our guests and partners both at the Sears Centre and throughout the region.”

Seymour comes to the Bulls from the Lake County Captains, the Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, located in Eastlake, Ohio. Seymour has served as Vice President and General Manager of the team since 2009, and under his leadership the organization has developed several memorable game day promotions and fan experiences that have led to increased revenues and improved profitability each year.  Following the 2010 season, Seymour spearheaded the successful re-branding of the team identity and logos, marking the first major changes to the club’s image.

While with the Captains, Seymour held a concurrent role from 2011-2014 as the Vice President of the Lancaster Jethawks, the Class A – Advanced affiliate of the Houston Astros, located in Lancaster, California. He also served as General Manager of the Jethawks from 2004-2008. During his tenure with the Jethawks, Seymour oversaw an operation that posted record revenue and attendance figures, increased the number of facility events annually and initiated several capital improvements throughout the stadium.

Prior to his posts with the Jethawks and Captains, he spent nine seasons with the Sioux Falls (SD) Canaries of the independent Northern League and served as General Manager for the 2002-2003 seasons, where he guided the organization’s business and baseball operations. Seymour started his career in 1995 with the San Jose Giants (A-San Francisco) of the California League.

A native of Morgan Hill, California, Seymour is married to Michelle and they have two children.

For more updates on Bulls D-League news and events, please visit www.bulls.com/dleague. Future career opportunities with the Bulls D-League team will be posted on Teamwork Online. Fans interested in purchasing Bulls NBA D-League season tickets can visit www.bulls.com/dleague or call (847) 396-7070 to place a non-refundable deposit of $50 to gain season-ticket priority.

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Brad Seymour named President of Chicago Bulls D-League team

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Photo Gallery: Bulls Caravan in Hoffman Estates

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D‑League