On Jan. 27, the NBA G League announced the game and broadcast schedule for their 2021 season - the 20th season of the NBA's official minor league.
This announcement comes nearly three weeks after the league announced that it would play out the 2021 season in February at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney will play host to some form of NBA basketball for the first time since October, when the NBA's four-month 2019-20 restart culminated with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the 2020 NBA championship.
The G League will resume basketball for the first time in nearly 11 months after its 2019-20 was first suspended in March, and then later cancelled.
Diving into the details, here's all you need to know about the upcoming 2021 G League season:
How many teams are participating in the 2021 G League season? Which teams will play?
A total of 18 teams, 17 NBA G League teams and G League Ignite, will be participating in the 2021 season.
“We worked closely with our teams, the Basketball Players Union, and public health experts to develop a structure that allows our teams to gather at a single site and safely play,” NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said when the league's announced its decision to play out its 2021 season at Disney.
“We are thrilled to get back to basketball and to fulfill our mission as a critical resource for the NBA in developing players, coaches, referees, athletic trainers and front-office staff.”
Here's the full list of participating teams, mentioned along with their NBA affiliates:
Agua Caliente Clippers (LA Clippers), Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs), Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers), Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans), Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets), Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves), Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic), Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets), Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies), Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder), Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz), Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors), Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
Ignite, a recently launched team of elite NBA Draft-eligible players, coached by former NBA player and head coach Brian Shaw, will play in its inaugural season.
What is the 2021 G League season schedule?
The complete 135-game schedule of the 2021 G League season will tip-off on Feb. 10. Each team will play 15 regular-season games between Feb. 10 and Mar. 6.
The new season will tip-off on Feb. 10 with the young Ignite squad taking on veteran Jeremy Lin and the Santa Cruz Warriors on Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Opening night also includes an additional five games including the most recent G League Champion (2019) - the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
The Disney site will host a maximum of six games each day across two venues. Under this year's format, there are no conferences or divisions with no team playing an opponent more than once.
To view the full G League schedule and all broadcasting details, click here.
What is the 2021 G League playoff format?
At the end of the 15-game schedule on Mar. 6, the top eight teams will qualify for a single-elimination playoff, which will begin on Mar. 8.
The 2021 season will culminate with the championship game on Mar. 11. Different from a traditional season, the young Ignite squad will also be eligible to qualify for the playoffs.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
