The NBA Summer League began in Orlando on July 2. This is the first of periodic updates as Summer League progresses through July 18 in three locations (Orlando, Utah, Las Vegas).
Not everyone is into the NBA Summer League.
While the “official” NBA players are off relaxing in exotic locales, doing promotional tours for their sneaker brands, running basketball camps, or just having a stay-cation at home with family and friends, the NBA Summer League is filled with newly drafted rookies, undrafted players trying to make a NBA team, or more seasoned players who are trying to do the same after stints playing overseas.
It’s not just for the players. Summer League is where some NBA coaches are grown; assistant coaches on NBA teams come to Summer League to get better, in the hopes of landing a head coaching job in the big leagues or, at the very least, running a D-League team.
Referees also work the games to get better (shoutout to Lauren Holtkamp, who worked the Orlando Summer League. I’m a fan.)
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Still the NBA Summer League does lend its own brand of entertainment, and watching people hustle to make their dreams come true is always inspiring.
This is hardly exciting for even the casual basketball fan. The games are shorter (four 10-minute quarters). Most players don’t have a shoe or other endorsement deal; most names are unfamiliar. There are usually no circus shots, no highlight reel-worthy plays, no celebrities sitting courtside.
There are no stuffed animal mascots shooting T-shirts into the stands. No suggestively clad team dancers to perform at halftime (until you get to Las Vegas). The team uniforms are the ones worn by the NBA teams in practice.
In short, the experience of a live NBA game does not exist in the Summer League (which includes the inflated ticket prices).
(All of the above may be why the NBA chose to air all of the Summer League games on NBA TV and ESPN this year, instead of charging a NBA Summer League Pass subscription. But I digress.)
Summer League watching can usually be gauged by overall team fandom or player fandom. For the recent college players, their alma maters want to see how well their native sons do, and if they have a feasible shot of ending up with a coveted NBA roster spot.
For team fans, we want to see if there will be some extra help coming during the regular season, or if the draft night moves were a waste of time.
There are 16 whole days for fans to render a verdict. Let’s discuss.
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