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In July 2006, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Buss family became the first NBA franchise to own an NBA Development League team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The D-Fenders are the sole affiliate of the Lakers and are committed to providing the highest quality of emerging talent.
The NBA D-League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league which features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams and is designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally by offering NBA quality basketball. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA.
Now entering its third season, the D-Fenders will play their home games either prior to or following Lakers home games at STAPLES Center. In only their second year in existence, the D-Fenders experienced several milestones during the 2007-08 season. Los Angeles finished the 2007-08 regular season with a 32-18 record, earning themselves a trip to the 2008 NBA D-League Playoffs presented by Delta. The D-Fenders, who finished with the second best record in the NBA D-League, hosted their first postseason game, a 102-95 victory at STAPLES Center over the Colorado 14ers in the opening round.
On November 29, 2007, D-Fenders first round draft choice (8th overall) Jelani McCoy became the first player in Los Angeles franchise history to earn an NBA Gatorade Call-Up when he was signed by the Denver Nuggets. Later in the 2007-08 season, D-Fenders teammate and Co-NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year, Stephane Lasme earned his NBA Gatorade Call-Up to the Miami Heat.
The Lakers have utilized their minor league affiliate in each of their two seasons, assigning rookie guards Jordan Farmar (2006-07) and Coby Karl (2007-08) to the D-Fenders. The Lakers and D-Fenders made history on April 1, 2007 when Farmar became the first player in league history to play in an NBA and NBA D-League game in the same day. Karl joined Farmar in the record books on February 19, 2008, becoming the second player in league history to pull double duty.
The D-Fenders will again be led by three-time CBA Coach of the Year, Dan Panaggio, and will continue to execute the triangle offense in order to develop future Lakers stars that will know the famous system implemented by Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. Panaggio and assistant coaches Chucky Brown and Rasheed Hazzard have an array of NBA experience that will provide the D-Fenders players with the understanding of what it takes to reach the ultimate level.
