Last Updated on October 4, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
The NBA G League, founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), has evolved into the NBA’s official development league and one of professional basketball’s most important talent pipelines. The league has produced numerous NBA players, coaches, and executives while providing a competitive environment for prospects and veterans pursuing opportunities at the highest level.
Here is a complete table of NBA G League Champions and Runners-up from 2002 to 2026, including the year, champion, runner-up, and Finals result.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Series Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Greenville Groove | North Charleston Lowgators | 2–0 |
| 2003 | Mobile Revelers | Fayetteville Patriots | 2–1 |
| 2004 | Asheville Altitude | Huntsville Flight | 108–106 (OT) |
| 2005 | Asheville Altitude | Columbus Riverdragons | 90–67 |
| 2006 | Albuquerque Thunderbirds | Fort Worth Flyers | 119–108 |
| 2007 | Dakota Wizards | Colorado 14ers | 129–121 (OT) |
| 2008 | Idaho Stampede | Austin Toros | 2–1 |
| 2009 | Colorado 14ers | Utah Flash | 2–0 |
| 2010 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | Tulsa 66ers | 2–0 |
| 2011 | Iowa Energy | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | 2–1 |
| 2012 | Austin Toros | Los Angeles D-Fenders | 2–1 |
| 2013 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | Santa Cruz Warriors | 2–0 |
| 2014 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants | Santa Cruz Warriors | 2–0 |
| 2015 | Santa Cruz Warriors | Fort Wayne Mad Ants | 2–0 |
| 2016 | Sioux Falls Skyforce | Los Angeles D-Fenders | 2–1 |
| 2017 | Raptors 905 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | 2–1 |
| 2018 | Austin Spurs | Raptors 905 | 2–0 |
| 2019 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | Long Island Nets | 2–1 |
| 2020 | No Champion | — | Season canceled |
| 2021 | Lakeland Magic | Delaware Blue Coats | 97–78 |
| 2022 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | Delaware Blue Coats | 2–0 |
| 2023 | Delaware Blue Coats | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | 2–0 |
| 2024 | Oklahoma City Blue | Maine Celtics | 2–1 |
| 2025 | Stockton Kings | Osceola Magic | 2–1 |
| 2026 | Greensboro Swarm | Stockton Kings | 2–0 |
The league began play during the 2001–02 season as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The Greenville Groove won the inaugural championship, defeating the North Charleston Lowgators 2–0. The league was renamed the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) beginning with the 2005–06 season.
The championship format changed during the league’s early years. The first three championship series were played as best-of-three series, while the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 championships were decided by a single championship game. The best-of-three Finals format returned in 2008 and remained in place through 2019.
The 2019–20 season was canceled before the playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning no champion was awarded that season. The league returned for the 2020–21 campaign with a modified format, with the entire season played in a single-site environment at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. The Lakeland Magic defeated the Delaware Blue Coats 97–78 to win the championship.
The league adopted the NBA G League name beginning with the 2017–18 season as part of its expanded partnership with Gatorade. The name change reflected the league’s increasingly important role within the NBA player-development system.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers have won the most NBA G League championships, capturing four titles in 2010, 2013, 2019, and 2022. Their four championships make them the most successful franchise in league history by total championships.
The Asheville Altitude became the first franchise to win consecutive championships, capturing titles in 2004 and 2005. Other multiple-time champions include the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Austin Spurs, and Santa Cruz Warriors.
The 2024 championship was won by the Oklahoma City Blue, who defeated the Maine Celtics 2–1. It was the first NBA G League championship in franchise history.
The Stockton Kings captured their first championship in 2025, defeating the Osceola Magic 2–1. Stockton then returned to the Finals in 2026 but was defeated by the Greensboro Swarm.
In 2026, the Greensboro Swarm defeated the Stockton Kings 2–0 to win the first championship in franchise history. Greensboro completed the sweep with a 119–104 victory in Game 2, while Tosan Evbuomwan was named NBA G League Finals MVP.
The G League has therefore progressed through three major names during its history:
- NBDL: 2001–02 through 2004–05
- NBA D-League: 2005–06 through 2016–17
- NBA G League: 2017–18 to present
The league’s history represents an important part of the modern NBA development system, with its season standings, team records, rosters, player statistics, and championship results providing a detailed record of the league’s evolution from its eight-team NBDL origins into an established professional basketball league.