10 things fans can do at Las Vegas NBA Summer League besides watch basketball
The Las Vegas NBA Summer League is underway at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. The action started Friday and continues through July 17.
There will be a lot of basketball in the 11-day span — 67 games, to be exact — so if you’re planning on heading out to the venues for multiple days, you might find that you need a break from watching so much basketball.
We walked the concourse Friday to see what the league put together for fans this year. And they delivered.
Here are 10 things fans can do at the NBA Summer League other than watch a ton of basketball:
Official merchandise
If you don’t have any NBA apparel to sport before getting to the venue, don’t worry, they’ve got you. On the concourse between the Thomas & Mack and Cox Pavilion is an official merchandise booth where you can purchase all the goods — T-shirts, basketballs, hats, socks and more.
Autographs
Players are there to play, but there are opportunities for autographs.
If you’re lucky, you can catch them as they enter or leave the court, or even outside the venue as they are leaving for the day. But if you want to play it safe, the league selects certain players after each game to sign autographs on the concourse outside portal nine. Get in line early, though, the players only sign autographs for a certain amount of time before being pulled away.
Programs/Sharpies
Speaking of autographs, if you want to get one, you’ll need to be prepared. You can purchase NBA Summer League programs and even Sharpies so you’ll be ready when your favorite player is available. Programs cost $7 and Sharpies $2.
NBA Combine testing
Test yourself like NBA hopefuls do. Literally.
Just like NBA prospects do at the NBA Combine, you can test your standing reach, jump height and see how your height measures up against the pros.
Arcade basketball
If you need to expend some energy, there are six arcade basketball systems set up outside portal eight, where you can see if you can beat the record. As of Friday afternoon, it was 86 baskets.
Video games
After you’re done testing your arcade basketball skills, head over to portal 13 to play EA Sports’ NBALive18 with other fans.
Charging stations
If you find yourself taking too many pictures and video with your phone, don’t worry, you can recharge your device’s battery. There are charging stations situated around the concourse.
Color
Yes, you can color at the NBA Summer League.
The coloring station is situated outside portal five, and kids (or adults) can color a page featuring a basketball player. It then will be displayed on the wall in the concourse.
The Starters broadcast
You can watch The Starters film for NBA TV live. The booth is outside portal three.
Strip view
If you’re local, you can see it all the time. But for tourists, you can’t come to Las Vegas and not take in a view of the Strip.
Lucky for you, the Thomas & Mack Center Strip View Pavilion offers an incredible view. Check it out between games or when you need a break from watching so much basketball.
More NBA Summer League: Follow all of our NBA Summer League coverage online at reviewjournal.com/summerleague and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.
Contact Kira Terry at kterry@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3880. Follow @kiraterry on Twitter.