Former NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim has been named president of the G League, replacing Malcolm Turner, who is leaving to become athletic director at Vanderbilt University.

Abdur-Rahim, who turns 42 Tuesday, has been serving as the NBA's vice president of basketball operations. The No. 3 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft played 12 seasons in the league and was an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001-02 season. He then held various administrative positions, including assistant general manager of the Sacramento Kings and general manager of the G League's Reno Bighorns in 2013-14.

Former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim has been named the new president of the G League. Associated Press

"I am thrilled to have this extraordinary opportunity with the NBA G League," Abdur-Rahim said in an NBA news release. "I've seen firsthand the NBA G League's remarkable growth under Malcolm's leadership, and I look forward to working with the players, teams and my colleagues to take the league to even greater heights."

Turner will begin his duties at Vanderbilt on Feb. 1. Vanderbilt chancellor Nicholas Zeppos called Turner "a proven executive with deep expertise in multiple business disciplines including management, marketing and development across the sports landscape of teams, leagues, facilities and major events."

Turner, who attended North Carolina and has business and law degrees from Harvard, worked at Wasserman Media Group's consulting division before taking over the NBA's G League four years ago.

During his tenure, the G League (previously the NBA Developmental League) expanded by 10 teams, and the number of NBA players with G League experience grew by 20 percent. Turner will succeed David Williams, who announced in September he would resign as athletic director and become a full-time law professor at the university.

Abdur-Rahim played two seasons at Cal but later earned his degree from the school. He also holds a business degree from USC. As G League president, he will oversee all of the league's basketball and business operations.

"Shareef's unique experiences as a player, team executive and member of the NBA's Basketball Operations department make him a fantastic fit to be the next President of the NBA G League," NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in a news release.