The NBA Summer League offers teams and fans alike a glimpse into what the future may look like, with all of the promising rookies in action and it also provides an opportunity for some of the lesser names to make an impact on a big stage.
We saw the top 3 picks in action recently, with Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr going at it in the opening game of this edition and Chet Holmgren had also previously set the record for blocks in the Salt Lake City Summer League with 6 on his debut. We also witnessed a relatively unknown Kenny Lofton Jr. giving him the business in the following game and it sums up what the Summer League is all about. The NBA is also set to, for the first time ever, give out rings for the Las Vegas Summer League from this year, as revealed by Malika Andrews and she also displayed what it would look like.
For the first time, rings will be handed out to the Summer League champions. We got an exclusive look on NBA Today. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/HovjFNXKFE
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 8, 2022
It does look great and is a nice little touch for the players involved to remember this time by, as a lot of them won’t end up making a roster in the NBA. They won’t get a shot at winning the biggest prize in the sport and this gives them a nice consolation prize for being a part of the best exhibition in sports.
The action is already underway as we mentioned earlier with Banchero taking on Jabari to kick things off and we saw more rookies shine, as Bennedict Mathurin, who earlier made some waves by taking a shot at LeBron James, scored 23 points on his debut for the Pacers in a win over the Hornets. We should be in for more fascinating action in the coming days and it will conclude on the 17th of July, with those shining rings awaiting the winner that day.
