Former NBA all-star Shareef Abdur-Rahim has been named the president of the NBA’s developmental G League, the league announced Tuesday.
“Shareef’s unique experiences as a player, team executive and member of the NBA’s Basketball Operations department make him a fantastic fit to be the next President of the NBA G League,” said NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum, via a press release. “He is well-prepared to build on the tremendous progress that the NBA G League has made under Malcolm, who deftly oversaw a pivotal period of expansion and transition.”
Abdur-Rahim, who turned 42 Tuesday, will replace Malcolm Turner after working in the league’s executive office as the NBA’s associate vice president of basketball operations for the past few seasons. Prior to that, Abdur-Rahim was the general manager of the Sacramento Kings G League affiliate Reno Bighorns for the 2013-14 season.
“I am thrilled to have this extraordinary opportunity with the NBA G League,” said Abdur-Rahim via a press release. “I’ve seen firsthand the NBA G League’s remarkable growth under Malcolm’s leadership, and I look forward to working with the players, teams and my colleagues to take the league to even greater heights.”
Turner is stepping down from his role after four years as the league’s president to serve as the athletic director of Vanderbilt University. During his tenure, the G League expanded from 18 teams to 28, and grew its presence significantly — the league drew in a record 1.6 million fans in attendance last season, an 11 per cent increase from the season prior.
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