When you play basketball in the NBA's minor league – it's called the D-League — the stands aren't full, the schedule is grueling, and the pay can be as low as $13,000 a year. Compare that to the NBA, where the profile is high and the salary is way higher. Playing in the D-League is a moonshot for every player, just waiting to get that call-up to the NBA. We follow two players through the highs and lows of an entire D-League season. You can follow Kelly McEvers on Twitter @KellyMcEvers, Uri Berliner @uberliner and Tom Goldman @TomGoldmanNPR. You can email us at [email protected].

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy