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Scoot Henderson of the NBA G League Ignite dribbles in the game against Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, U.S., October 6, 2022. /CFP
The NBA confirmed on Thursday that they will shut down the G League Ignite team after the 2023-24 season.
The Ignite is a project launched in 2020 of a team that was made up of elite draft prospects and veterans. They played in the G League as a way to provide a path for pre-draft eligible players to be financially compensated before entering the NBA Draft. Young talents could also get a chance to experience playing with former NBA players.
The Ignite contributed a series of players to the NBA since it was launched, including the following ones that were selected within the top-14 picks: Jalen Green (No. 2 in 2021), Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 in 2021), Dyson Daniels (No. 8 in 2022) and Scoot Henderson (No. 3 in 2023).
One major shortcoming many NBA players from the Ignite share in common is that they lack the ability to play as a team. The Ignite has been more like a stage for players to draw attention from scouts with individual performance and stats instead of an organization that plays to win. Many players would need time to get used to a lot of things in the NBA, but they have learned enough about teamwork in college or on other teams. The Ignite didn't teach that well to their players.
Jalen Green (#4) of the Houston Rockets dunks in the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 21, 2024. /CFP
It took both Green and Kuminga over three years to find the relatively correct ways to play in the NBA. Henderson nearly became the biggest flop of his class in many people's eyes. Drafting a future cornerstone player is vital to NBA teams, which means they can't afford to waste at least one season of tanking to draft a player whose growth is too unpredictable.
"Four years ago, we started Ignite to fill a void in the basketball landscape, and I'm proud of the contributions we were able to make to that ecosystem," Shareef Abdur-Rahim, president of the G League said. "With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to general manager Anthony McClish, head coach Jason Hart and their staff and to each player who wore an Ignite jersey. As ever, the G League's commitment to developing top NBA talent and helping players achieve their NBA dreams is unwavering."