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A New League for NBA Alums Looking for Another Chance

The average NBA career lasts just 4.5 years, and not everyone is ready to stop playing ball when they're cut from the roster. Enter the Champions Basketball League.
Courtesy Rubenstein Public Relations​

Thirty-six years after his retirement from professional basketball, Walt "Clyde" Frazier remains one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of New York. A seven-time All-Star and primary floor general during the Knicks' two championship runs in the 1970s, he ultimately spent 13 seasons in the NBA, and went on to find success off the court in broadcasting and the restaurant industry.

But Frazier knows his story is an exceptional one. The average NBA career lasts just 4.5 years, forcing most athletes to consider their post-playing options sooner rather than later. About 120 players were cut from NBA rosters in August, and for many of those freshly removed from the league, time outside of the NBA is spent finding a way back in.

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Enter the Champions Basketball League, which has been uniquely designed to offer NBA alums the next best thing, and possibly an alternate route back onto the sport's biggest stage. Frazier is the president of the New York–based Gotham Ballers, one of the league's 16 founding teams whose roster includes talents like Shawn Marion, Eddy Curry, and Al Harrington, among others.

"I'm giving back and giving these guys another opportunity," Frazier told VICE Sports. "They know they've made mistakes which shortened their careers, so this is kind of a second time around for them."

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Champions' inaugural campaign begins next summer, with 14 regular-season games in major U.S. markets such as Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, and Houston, in addition to New York. Games will take place primarily in university gymnasiums, such as St. John's and Baruch College. All 16 teams will compete in a championship tournament in Las Vegas at the end of the season.

"People estimate [the Gotham Ballers] would finish fifth or sixth in the Olympics this year," said Carl George, chairman and CEO of the Champions League. "It's an impressive group of players, 'cause we're building a competitive league—no one wants to see a league that's not competitive."

NBA alums will have a three-year window from when they leave the league to compete for a Champions roster spot, George said; former All-Stars will have five years. Players who have been out of the NBA for longer than that will have opportunities to try out and prove they still have game.

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The money will be competitive, too. Players will be paid approximately $200,000 per season, according to George, with a $50,000 bonus for winning their division. League champions will each earn a $100,000 grand prize.

Clyde Frazier is president of the Gotham Ballers, a founding Champions team. Courtesy Rubenstein Public Relations

"We're trying to build a new brand of basketball and I'm very excited to be a part of this," said Corey Maggette, who played 14 seasons in the NBA and will be on Boston's roster. "Guys are excited right now and trying to get in shape. If we can get guys in shape and we can be competitive, this is gonna be a great league."

Maggette's pure jubilance at getting back in the game is echoed by nearly everyone involved in Champions, but the league's focus goes beyond providing a second chance for players. It hopes to distinguish itself from the NBA through accessibility, from ticket prices (a flat $25 for all games) to encouraging fans to meet and interact with players at every possible opportunity. According to George, teams will participate year-round in charity events, community programs, and camps in all 50 states.

"Connectivity is really the currency for us," he said. The players understand that social responsibility and community engagement are as integral to their success—and to the viability of the league—as getting buckets.

"To be able to give kids the opportunity to come up and talk to us, that should really be able to have an impact on their lives," said Al Harrington, who played in the NBA for 16 seasons. "That's what I'm more excited about that playing basketball, is to be able to reach these kids."

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Champions will also allow players to gain experience in areas that may not have been available to them during their time in the NBA, such as coaching and upper management, George said. Although he has no prior coaching experience, for example, former Syracuse star and NBA journeyman John Wallace will serve as the Ballers' head coach this season.

"This is going to fill that competitive void I've had since I've retired," said Wallace, who has received advice from Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy as he prepares for the role. "I wish we were playing a game today—I'm ready and I'm fired up."

ESPN3 will serve as the broadcast partner for Champions, George said, and will stream games live during the season. The leagues knows that it will never be the NBA, which broke records for attendance (nearly 22 million) and total revenue ($5.2 billion), among others, in the 2015-16 season—but Champions hopes to be an exceptional second option for both fans and players.

"We're not here to compete with the NBA. We understand where we stand as a sports marketing business," George said. But, he added, "people want more basketball content, and we're going to provide that."

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