The NBA has determined to close down its G League Ignite experiment. The staff’s final marquee prospect, Matas Buzelis, just lately defined why.
The league launched the G League Ignite program in 2020 to supply another avenue for teenage prospects to organize for the NBA. The staff performed its house video games at Lee’s Household Discussion board in Henderson, Nev.
Slightly than taking part in within the NCAA or going abroad, younger gamers had been supplied the chance to earn as much as $500,000 in wages and play towards G League groups till they turned eligible for the NBA Draft. However after 4 years, the NBA ended this system as soon as the G League season led to April.
Buzelis, who was the G League Ignite’s prime prospect final season, just lately appeared on the “#thisleague UNCUT” podcast with Chris Haynes and Marc Stein.
The hosts requested Buzelis to expound on why he believed the G League Ignite program was shuttered. Haynes’ idea was that this system was shut down due to the NIL motion within the faculty ranks. Buzelis pushed again on the concept.
“It’s not even that,” mentioned Buzelis. “Ours acquired shut down as a result of the boosters didn’t give us any more cash. It’s powerful to pull individuals out of Vegas to go watch teenage children play, exterior of Vegas, 20 minutes away. It was simply powerful getting followers there. It wasn’t due to NIL or our file. It simply wasn’t a constructive funding.”
The Ignite completed with a 6-40 file final season. Regardless of a troublesome run within the G League, Buzelis was nonetheless drafted eleventh general by the Chicago Bulls in final month’s draft.
Earlier than Buzelis, names like Jalen Inexperienced, Scoot Henderson and Jonathan Kuminga additionally took half in this system.
