This Is Why You Have To Love The NBA D-League

When I was told I could write for SBNation.com, the first thing I did was call my mom and tell her the good news. Seriously.

↵This makes me like Sundiata Gaines, a player for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental League. Gaines was just signed by the Utah Jazz to a ten-day contract, a remarkable achievement for a D-League player. What did Gaines do when he first found out? According to this video (via Ridiculous Upside), he ... called his mom.

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↵Call me a sap, but this made me smile. The D-League is full of fun underdog stories that we simply don’t hear about enough, even with the D-League Showcase -- a four-day extravaganza in which D-League teams play each other as NBA front-office folk watch -- happening as we speak. Luckily, Ridiculous Upside’s Scott Schroeder has been doing some great work writing about the Showcase for Fanhouse. If you love underdog stories (and who doesn’t?), you should check that coverage out.