Wembymania all the talk as NBA Summer League begins
Wembymania and the sellout crowd it produced arrives in Las Vegas with the start Friday of the NBA Summer League.
The anticipation around this year’s event has reached new heights because of the debut of Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs at last month’s NBA draft.
He will make his highly anticipated Summer League debut when the Spurs face Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick, and the Charlotte Hornets at 6 p.m. Friday at the Thomas &Mack Center.
“It’s going to be intense,” Wembanyama said earlier this week. “I can’t wait to wear that Spurs jersey for the first time.”
The 17,500 fans on hand will get their first look at the 7-foot, 3½-inch rookie. According to the NBA, it’s just the fifth time a day on the Summer League schedule has been sold out.
A full slate of eight games will take place Friday. A total of 76 games will be played through the 11-day event, with games at Cox Pavilion and Thomas &Mack Center through July 17.
Wembanyama, a 19-year-old from Le Chesnay, France, has been touted as one of the top prospects coming into the league since LeBron James. He played four seasons professionally in France. He averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game last season and was named the MVP of the LNB Pro A, the top professional league in France.
Wembanyama did not play with San Antonio’s Summer League team in the California Classic in Sacramento earlier this week but is expected to play Friday. He said he will play “at least one or two games” during Summer League.
Miller played in the Hornets’ two games in the California Classic. The 6-foot, 9-inch forward from Alabama averaged 12 points, 4.5 rebounds and five assists in 29.4 minutes played per game with 13 fouls and nine turnovers.
If Wembanyama plays in the Spurs’ second game Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, it will be a rematch with Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 overall draft pick by Portland Trail Blazers.
The two faced off in a pair of exhibition games last October at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson when Henderson and the G-League Ignite played Metropolitans 92 in Wembanyama’s American debut.
Henderson, a 6-foot, 2-inch guard, scored 28 points on 11 of 21 shooting as the Ignite won the first meeting 122-115. Wembanyama scored 37 points in the first game and 36 two days later as his French League team won the second game 112-106. Henderson did not play in the second game because of an injury.
Henderson also makes his Summer League debut Friday when the Trail Blazers face the Houston Rockets at 5 p.m. Also making their debuts Friday are former Las Vegas high school stars Julian Strawther and Maxwell Lewis.
Strawther, a Liberty High graduate, was a first-round selection by the NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Lewis, who played at Somerset-Losee, was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers. Strawther and Lewis are two of 10 players participating in this year’s Summer League with ties to Southern Nevada.
All 30 NBA teams will participate in the Summer League and will each play four games. The top four teams will then play for the Summer League championship, with the two semifinal games on July 16 and the championship game on July 17. The remaining 26 teams will play a fifth game on July 15 or 16.
The NBA will experiment with a few new rules at Summer League. Coaches will get a second challenge of an official’s call if their first one is successful. An in-game flopping penalty will debut, where the other team will get a free throw and possession if a flop is called.
Along with the action on the floor, the NBA announced the launch of NBA Con at Mandalay Bay Friday through Sunday. The fan fest “will bring together the fashion, music, art and technology that make the NBA a cultural phenomenon into a three-day event,” with interactive exhibits, live panels, meet-and-greets, musical performances and more than 100 player appearances, according to a release.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.
Friday's NBA Summer League Schedule
New Orleans vs. Minnesota, 1:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBA TV
Denver vs. Milwaukee, 2 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPNU
Chicago vs. Toronto, 3:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBA TV
Portland vs. Houston, 4 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, ESPN
Cleveland vs. Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBA TV
Charlotte vs. San Antonio, 6 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPN
Sacramento vs. Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBA TV
Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPN
Locals participating in 2023 NBA Summer League
Jamal Bey (Bishop Gorman), Orlando Magic — The Washington graduate signed with the Magic's Summer League team after going undrafted. Last season, Bey became Washington's all-time leader in games played (150).
Tyler Bey (Las Vegas High), Milwaukee — Bey returns to the Summer League looking to sign with an NBA team after spending last season in the Israeli Basketball Premier League with Ironi Ness Ziona. He was the league's scoring champion averaging 20.3 points per game.
Ben Coupet Jr. (UNLV), Chicago Bulls — He played three seasons at UNLV under Marvin Menzies (2016-19) and later transferred to Arkansas-Little Rock and finished his college career at Southern Illinois. He played in 24 games with the Windy City Bulls in the G-League last season.
Bryce Hamilton (UNLV), Los Angeles Lakers — The former UNLV star played with the Miami Heat's Summer League team last year. He signed with the Lakers last October and played last season with their G-League team, the South Bay Lakers, and averaged 14.6 points per game.
Amauri Hardy (UNLV), Orlando Magic — Hardy spent last season with Dallas' G-League team, the Texas Legend. He appeared in 29 games, averaging 24.8 minutes played and 11.7 points per game.
Jaden Hardy (Coronado), Dallas Mavericks — Hardy returns for his second Summer League stint after appearing in 48 games with the Mavericks last season. He averaged 8.8 points and 14.8 minutes played per game.
Maxwell Lewis (Somerset-Losee), Los Angeles Lakers — One of two local prep starts taken in last month's NBA draft, the 6-foot, 7-inch forward was a second-round selection. Lewis averaged 16.6 points per game with Pepperdine last season.
Orlando Robinson (Centennial), Miami Heat — Robinson returns with the Heat's Summer League team after splitting time with Miami and their G-League club, the Sioux Fall Skyforce. He appeared in 19 games with Sioux Falls, averaged 21.4 points per game, and appeared in 31 games with Miami, averaging 13.7 minutes played per game.
Julian Strawther (Liberty), Denver Nuggets — The Liberty High graduate will get his first taste of Summer League with the reigning NBA champion Nuggets, who selected Strawther in the first round of last month's draft.
Donovan Williams (UNLV), Washington Wizards — Williams started last season with the Long Island Nets and appeared in eight games. In January, he signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks. He played in 24 games with the G-League's College Park Skyhawks and appeared in two games with Atlanta.
Note: Rosters are subject to change at the team's discretion.
