The NBA Development League (D-League) was founded in 2001 as the official minor league affiliate of the NBA. It has since grown to 19 teams for the 2015-2016 season that have direct affiliations with NBA franchises. The D-League has proven successful at developing NBA talent, as 38% of current NBA players have D-League experience and many players are assigned to the D-League for further development. The league's attendance has also steadily increased over the past 14 seasons.