LAS VEGAS — How do you describe the NBA Summer League to the uninitiated?
I went into it with no way of knowing what to expect. Imagine if the NFL combine and the MLB winter meetings had a baby, but then sprinkle in the NBA stars and groupies that make all-star weekend the Super Bowl of people-watching—that is Summer League.
It’s also a 24-team tournament, where 23 NBA teams — and one composed of D-league select players — are represented. Sixteen teams square off everyday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. in two adjacent arenas. It’s a buffet for basketball lovers.
And it’s not just an exhibition — it’s taken seriously. Bubble players are playing for jobs; assistant coaches are trying to impress the general managers. Meanwhile, the GMs are simultaneously trying to gather information from their counterparts, holding court with agents and establishing relationships with players who are future free agents. It’s the one environment where they can’t be accused of tampering.
A big part of Summer League is the curiosity around new stars. All games featuring the Timberwolves, Lakers and 76ers were packed to the rafters. It’s as if you were at a zoo, watching the animals in a man-made version of their habitat up close for the first time. The intrigue around this year’s crop of heralded rookies was palpable.
Yet it’s the less-hyped Emmanuel Mudiay who’s been the best player thus far. He can get to wherever he wants on the floor and can finish above the rim. Mudiay would have been in the running to be the projected first-overall pick but an extra year of scrutiny made him less desirable. He was out of sight and out of mind playing overseas in China, and to make matters worse he got hurt and struggled to earn consistent playing time. Now he’s healthy and with GMs getting their first long look at him against similar competition, Mudiay was the talk of the weekend.
As was Toronto’s second-round pick Norman Powell. For Raptors fans who haven’t seen him play, he’s a hybrid of Russell Westbrook and Andre Iguodala. The San Diego native is tough, physical, loves to guard and has a nose for the ball like Iguodala. Yet the former Bruin, who isn’t a great shooter, turns the corner on the pick-and-roll looking to score and wills the ball in the net with great effort and intensity like Westbrook, his fellow UCLA alumni and good friend. That’s what Summer League is about — figuring out just who these players are in the NBA game, which is decidedly different in style of play from the NCAA and European leagues.
NBA players flock to Vegas not just to be seen but to work out. Andrew Wiggins played well enough as Rookie of the Year not to need the extra seasoning in Summer League league like his teammate Zach LaVine, but he’s still in town practising with the team and supporting his brother Nick, who is also playing for Minnesota.
Kevin Garnett is here, too, practising with his team. As bizarre as it sounds, the 20-year NBA veteran is running wind sprints with Summer League hopefuls and could be seen spending time with his arm around Towns and Wiggins, imparting wisdom.
Summer League is also where in the same building as lottery picks and future Hall of Famers like Garnett you’ll find Matt Stainbrook, a former Xavier centre playing for the Golden State Warriors. He’s also an Uber driver in his spare time. Only in Vegas. Only at Summer League.
You also get a sense of the camaraderie NBA players have. It sounds cliché but basketball truly is a brotherhood. Being at Summer League, you feel like you’re crashing a big family reunion. Rod Thorn, the long-time NBA executive, is retiring and there have been multiple functions in town to show him off in style.
Style is not something the current players lack and everyday becomes somewhat of a fashion show. In contrast to the suits and blazers you see during the regular season, here the attire is more casual chic — designer sweat pants and logo’d tees is the Summer League dress code.
The most common accessory is mobile power. Every NBA player has a portable iPhone charger. It’s as if a dead phone is worse than death itself. Scrolling on those phones incessantly is not Twitter or Facebook, but Instagram. Every NBA player has a designer backpack. Every NBA player wears basketball shoes and socks even when not playing basketball (retro Jordans the runaway winner as most popular). It’s as is if the 60 richest guys in the building have a pact they are all going to dress and act the same. It makes sense as the only people they are really trying to impress are each other.
Yet the world comes for the opportunity to see the players up close. I met fans from New Zealand, Japan and even Ireland — Conor McGregor supporters mixing in some hardwood with their Octagon viewing. I met Canadians from everywhere from Ottawa to Saskatoon, fans who don’t normally get to see the Raptors but took the chance to make a vacation out of Summer League. “We the North” even extends to the North end of the Las Vegas strip, it seems.
Summer League is also a launching pad. Along with trying internal microphone communication for refs the NBA is dabbling in trying to ascertain the value of defensive metrics. These stats would largely reward players who hustle in the way standard box scores don’t—shots contested, loose balls captured and deflections are all individually tracked.
And all of this is happening out in the open for the paying public to see. Many fans were paying as much attention to what was happening around the arena to what was happening on the court. Perfect example: the awkward DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl handshake a day after they were in the same arena and didn’t acknowledge each other.
Much like Las Vegas itself, Summer League is a must visit— if only for the experience of witnessing it with your own eyes. To be there is to see the league at its best: aspirational, inclusive, accessible, competitive and fun.