At Sports Business Classroom, one of the most common questions we get from students who are eager to find an NBA job is “How?”

It’s a simple word with no single answer. But let’s tackle one specific path—the NBA G-League.

The NBA itself has grown tremendously over the past decade. Front offices have exploded in size. Go back 10-20 years, and a handful of people ran basketball operations for NBA teams. Many took on multiple roles like scouting, video, player development, player management, analytics, salary cap, etc.

Now, the NBA is more specialized, with teams looking to fill specific roles. The G-League is akin to the NBA of old, where there may be less specialization and more significant opportunity.

You could end up shagging balls for the players in workouts, driving players to an away game, helping the coaching staff with an advance scouting report, sitting in with the general manager to process a waiver claim, chopping up video, running analytics, prepping for game night and more.

All the while, you have the chance to observe, learn, network and prove yourself. Good work by good people stands out, more so in the G-League. And just like how the players strive for a call-up, so too are team staffers.

NBA franchises use their affiliates to do more than develop on-court talent. The G-League is a direct path to the NBA, and Sports Business Classroom has seen several students flourish through the G-League. Nick Lagios is the GM for the newly formed Capitanes CDMX.

After starting as an intern, Amber Nichols, a 2017 Las Vegas Immersive alumna, is currently the general manager of the Capital City Go-Go. She was featured recently in The Athletic’s “NBA 40 Under 40” and Forbes’ “30 Under 30.”

Washington Wizards president Tommy Sheppard told NBC Sports, “We knew Miss Amber had a future here 100 percent, and I’m very, very proud of her…She’s done an amazing job with her time with the Go-Go, but you know, I would consider it part of the Wizards. She scouts for us. She’s in charge of very big investments … the assignment players, the exhibit 10s, the two-way players, that’s under her. Her responsibilities are great, but I know her skill level far exceeds anything we could possibly imagine.”

Nichols took her experience with SBC to the G-League, put in the work and is on her way.

The G-League may be the best answer to the question of “How?”

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.