NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA Development League has drawn 1 million in attendance for the first time, with the expansion team in Maine playing to 100 percent capacity.
The NBA’s minor league drew a total of 1,043,261 fans, an increase of 6.6 percent from last year. The league had 16 teams this season, with Springfield, Mass., joining the Maine squad based in Portland.
The average attendance for a game in the NBA D-League, where most teams are based in small cities, was just shy of 3,000.
The D-League playoffs begin Wednesday. There have been a record 34 call-ups to NBA clubs this season, and 80 current NBA players have D-League experience.
