The NBA and Gatorade announced a multi–year partnership Tuesday, agreeing to rename the NBA Development League the "NBA Gatorade League"—or the G-League. The name change will become effective in the 2017–18 season. This deal marks the first time a U.S. professional sports league has been named after a sponsor.
The deal is a win for the NBA, which continues to find ways to improve its fledging developmental league. Here are my 12 key takeaways from the deal:
1. The NBA will receive different kinds of value in exchange for giving Gatorade a license over the league’s name and intellectual property.