The D-League has partnered with Gatorade to become the G-League

Believe it or not, the 2007 D-League champions actually gave their coach a Gatorade shower. (Getty Images)
Believe it or not, the 2007 D-League champions actually gave their coach a Gatorade shower. (Getty Images)

When the NBA hired Malcolm Turner as president of the NBA Developmental League in 2014, one of commissioner Adam Silver’s top directives for his new hire was to land a sponsor for the NBA’s minor league system. The league announced on Tuesday morning that Turner had succeeded in that mission.

The D-League reached a multi-year agreement with PepsiCo to rebrand the soon-to-be 25-team organization as the NBA Gatorade League, or G-League, beginning with the 2017-18 season. AdAge.com first reported the deal on Monday, and the D-League made it official the following morning.

The new G-League logo, which features Gatorade’s insignia on the lower right, will be featured on game balls, jerseys, on-court signage and digital assets, the league announced. Teams can also collaborate with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute to customize training regimens for players.

“As one of the most iconic brands in the world and a founding partner of the NBA Development League, Gatorade is an ideal fit for this first-of-its-kind partnership,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said in a…