List of NBA Development League champions

The National Basketball Association Development League (NBADL) (or National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001–05) Finals is the championship game or series for the NBADL and the conclusion of the sport's postseason. Since the league's inception in 2001–02, a variety of formats has been used to determine the champion. From the inaugural postseason in 2002 through 2006, the four teams with the best records advanced to the postseason because there were no division or conference splits to divide the eight teams.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The first two seasons, both semi-finals and the Finals series were in a best-of-three format, whereby a team must win two of the three games to advance or win the championship^[1][2] (the best-of-three would resume again in 2008 and is still used today).^[6][7][8][9] Then, between 2004 and 2007, the playoffs used a single-elimination tournament among the four teams, with two semi-final games and one winner-takes-all championship match.^[3][4][5][6]

In 2007, the league had expanded to 12 teams and was divided into Eastern and Western Conferences, comprising six teams apiece.^[6] The playoffs pitted each conference's winner against one another, with the Eastern Conference's Dakota Wizards winning the championship 129–121 in overtime against the Colorado 14ers.^[6] With the league's continued expansion to 14 and 16 teams over the next two years, respectively, the two-conference format was replaced with a three-division format consisting of Western, Southwestern and Central Divisions.^[7][8] Both the 2008 and 2009 NBADL championship series were between teams representing the Western and Southwestern Divisions, with no Central teams ever making it to the finals.^[7][8] These divisions split, with the Idaho Stampede of the Western Division winning in 2008, while the Colorado 14ers of the Southwestern Division won in 2009. Since 2010, the league has re-formatted to the Eastern and Western Conferences. Due to there being two more teams in the Western Conference (9) than the Eastern Conference (7), and because the top eight teams with the best regular season records qualify for the postseason irrespective of conference, the 2010 NBADL Finals consisted of two Western Conference teams.^[9] No teams from the east had advanced beyond the first two rounds, and the NBADL champion that season was the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.^[9]

Key

Champions

2002 to 2006

2007

2008 to 2009

2010 to present

Results by teams

Notes

• ^a The Asheville Altitude relocated and became the Tulsa 66ers in 2005–06.^[15]
• ^b The Columbus Riverdragons relocated and became the Austin Toros in 2005–06.^[15]
• ^c The Colorado 14ers went on hiatus in 2009–10 and returned as the Texas Legends in 2010–11 after a relocation.^[16]
• ^d The Huntsville Flight relocated and became the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in 2005–06, then the franchise simply renamed itself to the New Mexico Thunderbirds in 2010–11. The franchise was then purchased and relocated in 2011–12 and became known as the Canton Charge.^[15][17]
• ^e After two years as the North Charleston Lowgators, the franchise became known as the Charleston Lowgators for one season prior to their relocation. The franchise was known as the Florida Flame for the 2004 through 2006 seasons.^[15]
• ^f The Dakota Wizards relocated and became the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2012–13.^[15]

See also

• List of NBA champions

References