During His Tenure, Malcolm Turner Brought Relevance To NBA G League

The outgoing president accomplished more than anyone could ask in such a short time frame

If you told me that outgoing NBA G League President Malcolm Turner would accomplish as much as he did during his four-and-a-half years on the job before he took the position, I would have laughed in your face.

Turner did arguably more than any of his predecessors did and in a relatively short amount of time as well. He kicked the door in, changed how business was done in the G League, and dropped the mic on his way out. He will begin his new job as the Athletic Director at Vanderbilt University beginning Feb. 1.

With his last day scheduled for this Friday, his accomplishments while at the helm are unparalleled.

Increased number of teams from 18-to-28:

The “G” in G League doesn’t stand for Gatorade, it stands for growth as well. When he took over, the league had just turned the halfway point towards the now inevitable 30-team model the G League desperately desired.

He convinced teams to buy-in to the G League model and at a rapid rate as well. He also didn’t oversee adding teams simply for the sake of it, these are legitimate organizations that are able to reap the benefits of developing players to hopefully provide quality minutes at the NBA level.

The perfect example would likely be the Raptors 905. After feeling frustrated by the lack of minutes then-rookie Bruno Caboclo received while on flex assignment with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Raptors President Masai Ujiri took matters into his own hands.

A process that for some teams may take year(s), Ujiri accomplished in months, in part because of Turner’s ambition to add teams as well. Two years later the team hoisted the G League championship and has seen a number of players on assignment including Fred Van Vleet, and Pascal Siakam (G League Finals MVP) among others.

His final act was adding a G League team for the New Orleans Pelicans, who will play out of Birmingham, AL in three years but will reside in Erie, PA until then as the BayHawks.

Two-Way Contracts

By overseeing the implementation of two-way contracts, Turner has been able to provide leverage and value to G League franchises while also advocating for increased roster spots for NBA teams.

Obviously it wasn’t Turner alone who navigated the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement alone and wrote the guidelines for two-way deals, but seeing their successful implementation and watching players like Quinn Cook and Allonzo Trier thrive from their initial two-way deals shows the viability these contracts have and likely aren’t going away anytime soon.

USA Basketball Implementation

Because FIBA moved their qualifying window for the World Cup to take place during the NBA regular season, those players weren’t an option. The G League stepped in and allowed Team USA to take players from their rosters and help USA qualify for the World Cup. A job done by former NBA Head Coach and ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy.

USA also hosted an international select game against Mexico during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles last year in place of a traditional G League All-Star Game. Mind you, Van Gundy went through six different rosters during the qualifying period beginning in Fall 2017 until November 2018.

And they accomplished the goal of qualifying for the World Cup. The G League not only showcased its value to the NBA but the rest of the world as well that there are very talented players in the NBAGL. Perhaps we will see more international players take their game to the G League in the near future?

Professional Path For Elite Basketball Prospects

Not only did he add two-way contracts, but beginning with next season the NBA G League will also offer select contracts to elite prospects coming out of high school who wish to pursue a professional career.

These contracts will pay these players $125,000. They will also allow these elite players to sign endorsement deals and not have to worry about NCAA eligibility. Whether any elite prospects accept the deal and wish to compete in the professional ranks is a whole other topic for discussion, but in the wake of the NCAA Men’s Basketball attempting to clean up its act, this is a perfectly adequate measure to provide these prospects with increased financial compensation (at least until the one-and-done rule is repealed in the coming years).

The league could have sat idly by and done nothing. After all, the age requirement for the G League is 18. But instead the league decided to go the extra mile and offer additional incentives for those potential prospects.

Salary Increases

When Turner took over prior to the 2014–15 season, there were three salary tiers ($13K, $19K, $25.5K), with a majority of players competing on the lower two tiers.

Two seasons ago Turner eliminated the lowest tier, and this past season made all G League salaries a flat $35,000. For a five-month season, that’s a much-needed increase for those players who are seen as viable NBA talent. I don’t think the work is done with player salaries, but Turner was able to address the issue and slow, steady increases make sense in the G League as opposed to increasing them outright.

As the league grows and more players are needed, so too will the salaries to coax quality players to compete in the league.

Arizona State Education Program

Beginning with last season, the NBA G League implemented a new education program in partner with Arizona State. Some of the more notable points:

• The program is available to players for up to five years after they’ve finished playing in the G League.
• Players took assessments during training camp to see where they may fit via their personality into a career once their playing days are over.
• Game Plan provides career opportunities for athletes transitioning into the workforce.
• These online courses are equivalent to a degree given to students on campus.

The job placement is key for me for athletes transitioning to life after basketball. The basketball career won’t always be there, so this is a tremendous opportunity for these athletes to make the most of their G League experience both while and after they are suiting up for the NBAGL.

A Complete Re-branding

There’s a reason we don’t call it the D-League anymore. In early 2016, the league made the bold move to name Gatorade as a title sponsor and rename the D-League the G League. It caught many off guard initially, suggesting that these players were merely advertisements for the sports drink while salaries remained stagnant.

Turner navigated those critical waters though through the above mentioned accomplishments, by increasing salaries and also adding the education program. There is value to being a G League player, and perhaps those don’t come without naming Gatorade a title sponsor. But it’s great to see the players benefit as well from the re-branding as well and not just the league itself.

The league has also worked with Gatorade and their Sports Science Institute to provide improved nutrition and training programs.

Increased Visibility

Before Turner took over, the league’s games were broadcast mostly on YouTube (with a few other outlets like CBS Sports airing some playoff games). In an effort to try multiple outlets and see what sticks, Turner switched to other platforms like Facebook, Twitch, Eleven Sports, ESPNU/ESPN+, and others. Teams also negotiated their own network deals with a number of teams broadcasting home games on their local NBC Sports affiliate as well.

Though the move to Facebook was initially met with criticism, the move made sense. They have many more followers on Facebook and more people have a Facebook account than those who have a cable subscription.

Twitch was also a unique platform (my favorite personally) with interactive stats and a chat to discuss all things G League with fans as well.

By The Numbers

Just looking at some of the statistics comparing the league before his arrival and upon his departure are just staggering (all numbers provided by a league spokesperson)

In 2013–14, a total of 33% of NBA players boasted G League experience. Last season, 53% of players on end-of-regular-season rosters had experience.

All 30 teams finished last season with at least six G League veterans on their roster, with seven teams featuring 10 or more such players.

Before he took over, 62 players were assigned a total of 187 times for the 2013–14 season. Last year? 101 players were assigned a ridiculous 435 times for rehab or development.

Attendance has grown by 31% during Turner’s run, naturally as the league has grown so too should this number, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

(Knowing as much as he has accomplished here I’ve likely missed a few things as well)

The G League has changed for the better. Of all his accomplishments though, Turner’s ability to help shed the stigma of the G League and help bring it legitimacy might be his biggest success of all.

No longer is the G League seen as a place for demotion. Fans get excited when players are just practicing for rehab purposes (Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins). It’s the combination of all his accomplishments that made this happen.

He might be departing this week, but Turner’s positive impact on the G League will be felt for years to come.