IGNITE SET FOR SEASON DEBUT FEBRUARY AT DISNEY
– NBA G League Ignite Among 18 Teams Participating in G League Action at Walt Disney World Resort –
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. Jan. 8, 2021 – The NBA G League Ignite will be among the 18 teams taking the court in February for NBA G League action at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.
“We’re excited to be a part of the G League schedule at Disney,” said Ignite head coach Brian Shaw. “This is a unique opportunity for our players to showcase their development while gaining a high volume of experience quickly against the caliber of talent they’ll face every day in the NBA.”
Ignite, led by five-time NBA champion Shaw and comprised of elite NBA Draft-eligible players as well as NBA and G League veterans, will make its official debut alongside 17 G League teams. The top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff. While in a typical season Ignite will not play a full NBA G League slate of games nor be considered a standard G League team for the purposes of league-wide standings, the squad will be eligible to advance to the playoffs and contend for a championship during this non-traditional shortened season.
Elite prospects Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix, Kai Sotto and Princepal Singh have been training with Shaw in Walnut Creek, Calif. for Ignite’s inaugural season since August and have competed in four scrimmages leading up to the team’s official opener. NBA and NBA G League veterans Amir Johnson, Reggie Hearn, Brandon Ashley, Cody Demps and Bobby Brown round out the roster, providing a veteran presence for the young prospects. The team is dedicated to developing the world’s top young players through a one-year program focused on NBA Draft readiness along with the development and growth of professional life skills.
A full game and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
NBA G LEAGUE TO BEGIN PLAY AT DISNEY IN FEBRUARY
– 18 Teams to Participate at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort Near Orlando -
NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2021 – The NBA G League announced today that 18 teams, including 17 NBA G League teams and G League Ignite, will take to the court in February at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. The top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff.
“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,” said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “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.”
NBA teams without an NBA G League affiliate participating in Orlando will have the opportunity to assign roster players and transfer Two-Way players using the league’s flexible assignment and Two-Way rules. The full list of the 17 participating NBA G League teams is below.
“Our Cast Members are eager to work with the NBA family again and welcome in the next round of talented basketball players to compete at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,” said Faron Kelley, vice president of Disney Sports. “Most importantly, Disney and the NBA G League will continue our shared focus on the necessary safety protocols for the well-being of the players, coaches, staff and everyone supporting this event.”
Ignite, the recently launched team for elite NBA Draft-eligible players coached by former NBA player and head coach Brian Shaw, will play its first games against NBA G League competition in Orlando. Different from a traditional season, Ignite will be eligible to advance to the playoffs at Walt Disney World Resort due to the unique circumstances of this year.
Players, coaches, team and league staff living on the NBA G League’s campus at Walt Disney World Resort will be guided by comprehensive leaguewide health and safety protocols, which are based on the core principles of social distancing, mask wearing, hand hygiene and COVID-19 testing.
The NBA G League heads to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney just a few months after the NBA successfully restarted the 2019-20 NBA regular season at that venue last summer, which culminated with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA title.
The complete 2021 NBA G League game and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
The 17 participating NBA G League teams are:
· 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)
Subscribers with the SiriusXM Premier Streaming Package to get every NBA game plus 24/7 SiriusXM NBA Radio channel
More fans to have access to official team broadcasts for all 30 NBA teams on the SiriusXM app and connected devices
NEW YORK – January 8, 2021 – The National Basketball Association and SiriusXM have expanded their agreement to include additional streaming rights starting with the 2020-21 NBA season. The multi-year agreement will provide SiriusXM subscribers with the SiriusXM Premier Streaming Package access to live audio broadcasts for every NBA game. Subscribers with either a SiriusXM Premier or SiriusXM Essential Streaming Package will also get the exclusive 24/7 talk channel, SiriusXM NBA Radio.
SiriusXM streaming subscribers can access NBA content on the SiriusXM app on their mobile devices, at SiriusXM.com, and on connected devices and smart speakers. Fans with the Premier Streaming Package will now have access to 30 additional play-by-play channels on the SiriusXM app and at SiriusXM.com, each dedicated to carrying the official radio broadcast for each NBA team, making it easy for fans to find and listen to their favorite team’s announcers for every game. Schedules can be found at SiriusXM.com/NBAschedule.
Consumers with either the SiriusXM Premier Streaming or SiriusXM Essential Streaming Package can now access the 24/7 SiriusXM NBA Radio channel. The channel offers extensive and in-depth coverage of the NBA with a daily lineup of shows hosted by many former coaches and players as well as SiriusXM’s roster of insiders. Fans can stream SiriusXM NBA Radio programming anytime they want. Go to SiriusXM.com/NBA for more info on SiriusXM’s exclusive NBA programming.
Streaming access to NBA programming will continue to be available to SiriusXM subscribers with the SiriusXM All Access satellite service, who can listen on their SiriusXM radio in-vehicle and on the SiriusXM app.
Right now, SiriusXM is offering new eligible customers their first 3 months of the Premier Streaming Package for $1. Fees and taxes apply. See Offer Details and sign up at SiriusXM.com/NBATrial.
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Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the leading audio entertainment company in the U.S., and the premier programmer and platform for subscription and digital advertising-supported audio products. Pandora, a subsidiary of SiriusXM, is the largest ad-supported audio entertainment streaming service in the U.S. SiriusXM and Pandora’s properties reach more than 150 million listeners, the largest addressable audience in the U.S., across all categories of digital audio – music, sports, talk, and podcasts. SiriusXM’s acquisitions of Stitcher and Simplecast, alongside industry-leading ad tech company AdsWizz, make it a leader in podcast hosting, production, distribution, analytics and monetization. SiriusXM, through Sirius XM Canada Holdings, Inc., also offers satellite radio and audio entertainment in Canada. In addition to its audio entertainment businesses, SiriusXM offers connected vehicle services to automakers. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.’
Source: SiriusXM
NBA AND NBPA ANNOUNCE COVID-19 TEST RESULTS
NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2021 – Of the 498 players tested for COVID-19 since Dec. 30, four new players have returned confirmed positive tests.
Anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test is isolated until they are cleared for leaving isolation under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association in accordance with CDC guidance.
