Lakers Promote From Within To Find New General Manager of NBA D-League Affiliate

It's often well noted that the NBA D-League is the land of opportunity for not simply just players, but coaches, executives, trainers, and more as well.

Plenty of notable NBA figures have either begun their journeys, and/or were elevated to that next level due to time in the NBADL in the first place.

Surely, Nick Mazzella is hoping to get his feet wet by doing the same thing.

After serving as the Lakers' Public Relations Coordinator since 2006, Mazzella will now assume the role of General Manager of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the NBA team's official minor league affiliate.

Mazzella's jump in position (with regard to his department and/or new duties) is certainly an intriguing one, but perhaps this further proves why the NBA D-League is so great for just that. Having been a dedicated Lakers' employee since 2005 (he previously served as a Basketball Operations Assistant), the D-League gives the Lakers the opportunity to take a chance on Mazzella in such a new capacity.

It'll be interesting to see how Mazzella's skills and feel for the game of basketball translate with regard to building a talented minor league club filled with promise and potential. That said, his background in public relations may actually go on to help Mazzella even more than most would think.

The D-League is where players go to receive more exposure, and when they do, it's all about proving they have what it takes to compete in the NBA. It's an audition of sorts, and much of it has to do with the general public's (and/or the vast amount of executives') perception of such players.

With that in mind, Mazzella should be able to use his background in PR to get a better grasp on which prospects are more poised to impress (and why) while handling themselves in front of all sorts of worthy enough decision makers.