Gordon: Moments define NBA Summer League more than results

The moments are what matter to Albert Hall.

More than the NBA Summer League MVPs. Or the champions.

Remember when an undrafted guard named Jeremy Lin battled tooth and nail with No. 1 overall pick John Wall in 2010 at Cox Pavilion? Hall sure does.

How about the ice running through D’Angelo Russell’s veins when he swished a game-winning buzzer-beater from 28 feet in 2016 at the Thomas & Mack Center?

“There’s always the element of who’s going to step up and take center stage at Summer League,” said Hall, the event’s co-founder. “That’s what Summer League is about. … Who’s going to seize that moment? Every year we look forward to that.”

The annual Summer League begins Thursday at UNLV — and with it, the 11-day audition that most of its players are preparing for. The networking is what matters to those tangentially involved with the NBA and its 30 franchises.

The basketball is what matters to the spectators. And there’s plenty of that: 75 games in 11 days.

By my calculations, that makes for more than enough opportunity for the kind of moments that are etched into Hall’s memory and that will be commemorated near the locker rooms with circular decals.

Come for No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith. Stay for the second-rounder that probably ends up stealing the show. Just remember, what happens at Summer League stays at Summer League.

Until it doesn’t.

The correlation?

Summer League success doesn’t exactly correlate with regular-season success for the 30 NBA teams. It’s not supposed to, either, given that players with established contributing roles tend not to play — regardless of their youth or inexperience.

Consider that of the eight Summer League champions, only the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs and 2018-19 Portland Trail Blazers advanced beyond the first round in the ensuing postseason. The Sacramento Kings are the only two-time Summer League champions, and they haven’t qualified for a postseason since 2006.

Damian Lillard claimed Summer League MVP honors in 2012 … and is the last such honoree to become an NBA All-Star.

“That’s the element of this draft. There’s no guaranteed locks,” Hall said Tuesday inside the Thomas & Mack Center while Summer League staffers finished preparing the venue for play.

His sentiment is rather evergreen, and the unpredictability generally adds to the intrigue and helps make Summer League special.

The top draft picks generally know their standing with their respective teams and vice versa. But what about when somebody does unexpectedly steal the show?

That’s where the real intrigue and evaluation begins.

More moments

Fortunately, the speculation can end Thursday and the basketball can begin. Nearly 140,000 people attended the last traditional iteration of Summer League in 2019 before COVID-19 necessitated a cancellation in 2020 and prudent safety precautions in 2021.

Some of whom might recall another signature Summer League moment: Zion Williamson’s debut — and the subsequent earthquake that ended it prematurely.

“The last couple years have been a bit challenging, but just having that energy, that atmosphere that Summer League has become, kind of that festival vibe … that’s the big part of it,” Hall said. “And really, the city of Las Vegas. They welcome us with open arms from the things that are happening at night to all the people that come into town for Summer League.

“They love being back, and we’re looking forward to providing that atmosphere.”

One game at a time. One moment at a time.

Welcome back.

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.