A group of four, elite high school basketball players are given the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to be trained, mentored, and mentally prepared for the NBA. Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix are the first four players to join the Pathway program, where they will join the G-League's (the NBA's minor league) newly formed Team Ignite. Jalen Green hails from Fresno California and is considered to be a basketball prodigy. Green has been compared to Kobe Bryant and is anticipated to be a top draft pick. Jonathan Kuminga moved from the Congo when he was just 14 years old, with one goal in mind, to join the NBA. Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix, top high school recruits, signed on to play for NCAA schools. However, when the Pathway became an opportunity, they both de-committed. Both feel that playing for Ignite will bring them closer to their NBC goals, then the college route could have. From here on out, the focus is on one thing, preparing for life as a potential NBA player.
Team Ignite is ready and eager to start playing in the NBA bubble. But these young guys have a target on their backs. They will be facing competition unlike anything they've seen before as they compete again older, more experienced professional basketball players. Not only are they playing for the honor of the G-League championships, but they are also performing for NBA scouts on a regular basis. Their performance in the bubble will play a huge roll in their NBA future. Isaiah Todd struggles to shine, as he finds himself not starting for the first time in his career. Jalen Green gets off to a rocky start and quickly realizes that they aren't playing in high school anymore. The weight of needing to impress his country is hitting Jonathan Kuminga. And Daishen is determined to show the scouts that he is a top five draft pick.
Team Ignite continues to persevere against the strong competition and is 4-1. Isaiah Todd has a true NBA moment with an unbelievable game winning shot, Daishen Nix is struggling to impress and improve his shots, Jalen Green continues to rise as a superstar and Jonathan Kuminga succumbs to an ankle injury. Much to their surprise, Team Ignite secures a spot in the playoffs, but unfortunately loses in the first round.
Our players have gone their separate ways, and returned home for the next phase of draft prep. Jalen Green comes out of the bubble a star on and off the court and spends a great deal of his post season time doing media interviews, photo shoots and even revamps his childhood basketball court. Jonathan Kuminga has recovered from his injury and is incredibly focused on continuing to improve his game. He also travels to Queens NY, the city that embraced him when he first moved to the states, to host "JK Day", a community basketball tournament. Daishen Nix is not only focused on improving his shot and hopefully his draft stock, but he has lost 20 pounds since the bubble. He reveals that he had COVID prior to the season, which caused him to gain weight. Isaiah Todd is spending some much needed quality time with his family, including a very moving moment when he and his mother watch the George Floyd verdict.
While Jalen Green continues to be a media superstar and gets flown around the country to meet with several NBA teams, our remaining three players are off to Chicago for the NBA combine. The combine gives them one last opportunity to impress the NBA scouts, coaches and managers before the draft. Jonathan Kuminga wows in a private pro day workout, Isaiah Todd makes a risky decision to not participate in the scrimmage portion of the combine, and Daishen Nix unfortunately fails to deliver on the court.
The NBA draft is finally here. Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, top draft contenders, are greeted like celebrities as they arrive in New York. But unfortunately for Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix, their draft rankings weren't high enough to secure an invite to Brooklyn. Even though the draft is just hours away, the rumor mills are still swirling, and everyone is buzzing over who will get drafted first. Will it be Team Ignite's Jalen Green or NCAA superstar, Cade Cunningham.
We come in right at the top of the draft, where Jalen Green anxiously awaits his NBA fate. He ends up getting drafted 2nd to the Houston Rockets, behind Cade Cunningham (1st pick, Detroit Pistons). While Green is incredibly grateful, he vows to seek revenge on the court against the teams that didn't pick him, especially Detroit. Anticipated pick five, Jonathan Kuminga, ends up going 7th to the Warriors. Isaiah Todd thought he was a shoe in for the first round, but gets drafted at the top of the 2nd round by the Wizards. And an extremely disappointed Daishen Nix goes un-drafted. He ends up signing a deal with the 76ers to play for them in summer league. We follow our players through Summer League, which is their chance to gain a roster spot with their new teams, and then we head back to the beginning where we meet the next round of players for Team Ignite.