For nearly a quarter century, the G League has been helping players break through to the NBA, and the Boston Celtics have long leaned into their ties with the developmental league to bolster their success in the Association. And current Maine Celtics head coach Phil Pressey himself used the G League to further his career as a player in those early years when the team he now coaches was still called the “Maine Red Claws” and the current name of the G League was still settling into our collective consciousnesses.

So Pressey has seen the G League transform from a quiet league with little national attention to the modern iteration of the NBA’s developmental league that has become a bonafide attraction in its own right, with fans of teams coming to support their G League squad as a discrete ball club — and not just a potential showcase for the parent club’s injured vets or rising prospects.

With that shift has come changes in team ownership; what was once a network of independent clubs has become mostly owned by each of the NBA’s 30 teams, as well as the Mexico City Capitanes, whose status as the G League’s sole unaffiliated ball club and the only G League (or NBA) team in Mexico has elevated them to impressive heights in terms of fandom.

Pressey opened up to the Celtics Wire on Friday (Nov. 13) morning about what he has seen change in terms of media coverage. “I feel like the media and fan engagement has grown,” said the Maine Celtics coach.

“Especially because of the new media with podcasts and everybody has the ability to have an opinion, and that’s a good thing because everybody’s studying the game, especially with the technology now. But yeah, it’s grown — you know, I think more people are paying attention to it. Organizations understand the importance of developing players and getting the most out of their roster.”

And Pressey, both as a player and coach, has seen that firsthand with Maine. The former Red Claws have grown into a perennial G League powerhouse over the years, serving as a path for many a player into the NBA and onto Boston’s roster in many cases.

With the G League and the Maine Celtics more popular than ever, that trend seems poised to continue — and not just with the players, as Pressey is retracing the steps of current Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla, who also got his start in the G (as it is called for a nickname by some players).

“I think it’s monumental for my career as a coach, growing through this situation,” said Pressey.

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