The official NBA Summer League was cancelled due to the NBA lockout, much to everyone’s chagrin. Interestingly enough, however, it seems that there is still a chance Las Vegas could still host some of the best NBA players playing for their regular season teams.
Vegas To Host An NBA Summer League, Of Sorts
Joe Abunassar, the head trainer at the famed Las Vegas-based Impact Academy, told Sports Illustrated’s Sam Amick that the NBA lockout isn’t going to completely keep Vegas from being descended upon by some of the best basketball players for two weeks this year -- it’ll just be in September instead of July.
Amick reports that more than 50 players will be descending on Sin City to take part in a league at Impact Academy, starting on Sept. 12, but the exciting part is that a couple of complete NBA teams might compete.
According to Impact owner and renowned trainer Joe Abunassar, the Clippers' Blake Griffin, Mo Williams and Randy Foye came by last week and expressed a desire to enter the league with a team made up solely of their teammates. Oklahoma City center Nazr Mohammed is trying to convince Kevin Durant, James Harden and others to do the same, while Indiana's Dahntay Jones and Denver's Al Harrington are making similar pitches to their respective teams.
Abunassar is planning for eight teams with roughly seven players apiece, but there could be a need for more teams once the rest of the NBA gets word of the league.
“It’s a natural deal,” Abunassar said. “Guys want to play, so this is a great service for guys. It keeps them in shape. They don’t mind coming to Vegas. The difference between what we’re doing and what other leagues are doing is that all five guys on the floor will be pros. It’ll keep them in shape. It’s a good thing for the NBPA.”
Welp, if it ends up getting broadcast online, this might be a decent distraction in September.
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