GREENSBORO — Gate City leaders are still buzzing over the news that Charlotte Hornets’ D-League is coming. This is just another addition to the already big sports tourism industry.
“I want to thank Malcom and the NBA Development League and Fred and Rich and the Hornets for bringing professional basketball back to the Triad region. It really is going to be so much fun,” said Mayor Nancy Vaughan, City of Greensboro.
Fun but also exciting to see a level down from the professionals play in the Triad. This week, NBA, Charlotte Hornets and Greensboro leaders were joined to announce the Hornets’ development league will be here to stay. So, who will make up the roster?
“They’ll have drafted players that the Charlotte Hornets will have ownership rights to, and, of course, there will be other players who will be invited to be part of the team that are perhaps under contract with the other teams and probably some independent players as well,” said Kim Strable, Greensboro sports commission president.
The Charlotte Hornets are going to own and operate the D-league team in the Gate City, and local officials say that is definitely a game changer.
“They will have a team assembled that will take care of every part of the operation as if it was the Charlotte Hornets. It’s different in that sense, it doesn’t rely on that local base,” said Strable.
This is the NBA’s 20th development league. It’s Greensboro’s only team of its kind by being owned and operated by the professional team. Local officials say this adds to the Gate City’s impressive sports tourism industry.
“It’s the leading market in Greensboro over other types of markets so the CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) here is awesome. We work really closely to try to continue to find all forms of business, a lot of used sports, amateur sports,” said Strable.
Strable says there are many spin off benefits to having the team here. Some include the types of visitors and an increase in shopping and dining.
There’s no official team name yet. The first game will be held during the 2016-17 season.
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