Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

 

  • NBA Day 10: ... then there were the little guys

    By Ryan Greene · July 21, 2008 · 4:12 a.m.

    While several top draft picks made their debuts at last week's NBA summer league, there were plenty more names you may never hear again. Guys just hoping to catch someone's eye if only for a moment. Here's a look at three of them: Rod Benson, Matt Walsh and Russell Robinson.

  • NBA Day 10: And the winners are ...

    By Ryan Greene · July 20, 2008 · 9:01 p.m.

    On the final day of NBA action in Vegas, the Sun names it All-Summer League teams, including both the great and the not-so-great.

  • NBA Day 10: Have passports and visas, will travel

    By Rob Miech · July 20, 2008 · 3:36 p.m.

    On an elevator ride inside Cox Pavilion this week, Warren LeGarie heard people speaking Chinese, Italian and Spanish. Sitting anywhere in Cox, or walking over to the Thomas & Mack Center, fans likely heard several languages at the NBA Summer League over the past 10 days. That’s just what Warren LeGarie, the executive director of the league, envisioned five years ago when he started the league with six teams. This year, 21 teams participated in what has become a must-attend basketball bazaar for international basketball personnel.

  • NBA Day 9: Just crown him already

    By Ryan Greene · July 19, 2008 · 11:38 p.m.

    If you were hoping for suspense as far as who will be this year's summer league MVP, don't even bother stressing it. Jerryd Bayless secured those honors Saturday night in Cox Pavilion. That's unofficial, of course. But, well, just go with it. Also: Rockets' bench gets a little testy (in a costly way), and Belinelli goes out with a bang

  • NBA Day 9: Augmon happy to be back on familiar turf at UNLV

    By Rob Miech · July 19, 2008 · 1:44 p.m.

    Stacey Augmon has been happy to be back on the Thomas & Mack Center court this week. He’s taken extra looks around his former home and enjoys seeing framed photographs of himself from another era on the walls. That hasn’t been the case in previous returns, but one of the stars from UNLV’s glory days said that has changed since Lon Kruger has been coaching the Rebels.

  • Momentous trade finally took shape behind scenes at Summer League

    By Rob Miech · July 19, 2008 · 2:00 a.m.

    Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge sat in a corner of the Thomas & Mack Center a year ago as Phoenix Suns guard Marcus Banks torched the Cleveland Cavaliers for 42 points.

  • NBA Day 8: A tale of two game-winners ... and an almost-was

    By Ryan Greene · July 18, 2008 · 11:34 p.m.

    While several NBA junkies sat at home on draft night and muttered 'Who???' as Jason Thompson was selected 12th overall by Sacramento, the Rider product had already muttered questions of his own. "I bet you there were a couple people drafted before me, and I said 'Why?'" Thompson responded. "All they do is see the school, they see the label." Unless you're a devout follower of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (several of those same people may have just said 'What?'), you probably weren't familiar with Thompson until a few weeks ago. Heck, you still might not be.

  • NBA Day 8: ‘Tractor’ out to prove he can still play

    By Rob Miech · July 18, 2008 · 8:35 p.m.

    The little tractor hasn’t seen the big tractor play at the elite level of professional basketball. More than anything, that fuels Robert “Tractor” Traylor’s drive to return to the NBA. That’s why the 6-foot-9, 300-pound Traylor has been out running with the greenhorns and neophytes, for the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion.

  • NBA Day 8: Chandler stars for nicked-up Knicks

    By Andy Samuelson · July 18, 2008 · 4:20 p.m.

    If New York coach Mike D’Antoni felt any weirdness today about his new team, the Knicks, playing against his old squad, the Phoenix Suns, he certainly didn’t share that sentiment with his players at Cox Pavilion.

  • NBA Summer League draws hoops fans from all over

    By Mark Hansel · July 18, 2008 · 2:00 a.m.

    Las Vegas is showing it can draw fans from all over the country to watch National Basketball Association games. About one in 10 fans who come to watch NBA Summer League Games at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion is from out of town. That’s why, according to Gail Hunter, NBA marketing director, the association chose Las Vegas as the site to showcase its young players. It’s also why the NBA envisions Las Vegas as the permanent home for the Summer League.

  • Are fans tuned in to the NBA’s Vegas Summer League?

    By Ron Kantowski · July 18, 2008 · 2:00 a.m.

    Today is Day 8 of the NBA’s Vegas Summer League at Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center, which seems like the perfect time to quiz local basketball fans on what they’ve witnessed so far.

  • NBA Day 7: Hey Rook! Get me some chicken fingers!

    By Ryan Greene · July 17, 2008 · 11:24 p.m.

    If you're J.R. Smith, why not go watch your potential Denver Nuggets teammates play in the summer league as long as you're already in Vegas? Comfy seat and a built-in catering service. Smith, a 6-foot-6 prep-to-pro shooting guard entering his fifth year in the league, introduced Nugget rookie Sonny Weems to the traditions of rookie hazing in order to make his spectating experience Thursday more comfortable at Thomas & Mack.

  • NBA Day 7: Fazekas feels the love (and hate)

    By Andy Samuelson · July 17, 2008 · 10:30 p.m.

    The Los Angeles Clippers have had a larger Summer League following this past week, but one player in particular has heard just as many jeers as cheers. “Sometimes it is kind of fun to play in front of people who don’t really like you. It kind of makes you play a little harder,” said Nevada product Nick Fazekas, who had his best Summer League showing Thursday when he scored 16 points in the Clippers last game of the session, an 80-76 overtime loss to New Orleans.

  • NBA Day 7: Jasper warming up to Vegas

    By Rob Miech · July 17, 2008 · 9:58 p.m.

    Be prepared if you meet Derrick Jasper. The future UNLV basketball player has a handshake like Bernie Mac. He stood inside a Thomas & Mack Center tunnel early Thursday night and watched Phoenix play San Antonio in an NBA Summer League game with former Kentucky teammate Joe Crawford.

  • Mayo Learning the Ropes

    You need to upgrade your Flash Player

    By Alex Adeyanju · July 17, 2008 · 2:00 a.m.

    Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo finished Summer League play and now talks about the games and whats ahead for the 3rd pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

  • NBA Day 6: Even more to Love

    By Ryan Greene · July 16, 2008 · 8:58 p.m.

    Corey Brewer is used to winning. Not just that, but winning while playing his way. Neither of those really took place last year for him in Minnesota. A two-time national champion at Florida in 2006 and '07, you can imagine how frustrating a 22-60 post-KG swap record for his Minnesota Timberwolves was as a rookie. He can already feel things changing, though.

  • NBA Day 6: Former Rebel Essengue is crutch free

    By Rob Miech · July 15, 2008 · 8:10 p.m.

    Former UNLV center Gaston Essengue ambled around the Thomas & Mack Center concourse during Wednesday’s games in white sneakers, jeans, a white T-shirt and white ball cap. He walked without the aid of crutches.

  • NBA Day 6: Another lottery pick bites the dust

    By Andy Samuelson · July 16, 2008 · 4:15 p.m.

    The second lottery pick from this year’s NBA draft looks to be done for the rest of the Summer League at UNLV’s campus. New York’s Danilo Gallinari, a 19-year-old rookie out of Italy, didn’t play in the Knicks 82-67 loss to San Antonio Wednesday afternoon because of a sore lower back.

  • Contented, yet still hoping for another shot

    By Ron Kantowski · July 16, 2008 · 2:00 a.m.

    In the NBA alone, the former Mountain West player of the year from the University of Wyoming has set screens in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Houston and Phoenix. He has blocked out in Boise, where he was the Most Valuable Player of the born-again Continental Basketball Association, after Isiah Thomas wrecked it. He has scored on put-back baskets at Jesi in Italy, Leon in Spain, Moscow in Russia and Kiev in the Ukraine.

  • 2008 NBA Summer League

    You need to upgrade your Flash Player

    By Sam Morris & Steve Marcus · July 14, 2008 · 2:04 p.m.

    21 NBA teams are taking part in the 2008 Summer League in Vegas this year, with 10 days of games taking place at COX Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center.

  • NBA Day 5: Point(s) taken; Hill begins transition

    By Ryan Greene · July 16, 2008 · 12:06 a.m.

    D.J. Augustin apparently didn't realize that when you're the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft, your roster spot come opening night is all but guaranteed. The Charlotte Bobcats' rookie point guard earned every single one of his team-high 30 points Tuesday night in the Thomas & Mack Center, though it wound up going towards a losing cause. Golden State triumphed in Tuesday's nightcap, 99-93.

  • NBA Day 5: The King and His Court

    By Andy Samuelson · July 15, 2008 · 10:30 p.m.

    When he actually can make it to his seat inside the COX Pavilion and avoid the autograph hounds long enough to actually do his job as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, then Reggie Theus is pretty productive. Fortunately for Theus’ UNLV fans (maybe unfortunately for Kings fans), the former Rebels' star has been gracious with his time.

  • Day 4: Minnesota’s muscle debuts

    By Andy Samuelson · July 14, 2008 · 9:30 p.m.

    One thing definitely stood out in Kevin Love’s first NBA game Monday night at the Cox Pavilion, the All-American from UCLA doesn’t like to be on the wrong end of the scoreboard. “I never like losing. I’m not use to it. I don’t accept it,” said Love, after Minnesota’s 88-74 setback to Dallas.

  • Practice packs them in

    By Ron Kantowski · July 14, 2008 · 2:00 a.m.

    Maybe we are closer to becoming an NBA city than I thought. If they ever put a shovel in the ground on that new arena we’re supposed to be getting, the Al Attles look-alikes doing business out front are going to be very, very happy.

  • Day 3: Clippers shelve Gordon

    By Andy Samuelson · July 13, 2008 · 4:00 p.m.

    The big news out of Summer League action on Sunday is that Los Angeles Clippers first-round pick Eric Gordon is done for the session with an injured hamstring. "I hurt it pretty bad and don't know what is going to happen," Gordon said on Saturday, after straining his left hamstring in L.A's loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

  • Day 2: A guard’s game

    By Andy Samuelson · July 12, 2008 · 6:30 p.m.

    Many of this year’s NBA lottery picks have professed to a case of the jitters when making their professional debuts at this weekend’s NBA Summer League held on UNLV’s campus. Former Texas standout and current Charlotte Bobcat D.J. Augustin said he also fell into that mode when he matched up against the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday afternoon.

  • Day 1: Mayo provides the mustard

    By Andy Samuelson · July 11, 2008 · 3:40 p.m.

    If O.J. Mayo was nervous on Friday afternoon, then the rest of the NBA won’t want him to settle down anytime soon. With 23 seconds left in the first half, Memphis’ highly-regarded guard out of USC picked off a pass, went nearly the length of the court and threw down a thunderous one-handed dunk over New Orleans’ 6-foot-11 Hilton Armstrong — forcing the nearly full Cox Pavilion attendees to rise to their feet in appreciation.

  • Take Five: NBA Summer League

    By Ron Kantowski · July 11, 2008 · 2 a.m.

    “The Endless Summer” is considered one of the most influential films of the surfer movie genre. It was one of the first great sports-related documentaries and spawned a movie category that still exists. The Endless Summer League is sort of like that. Minus the bushy, bushy blond hairdos. (Unless Dennis Rodman is planning a surprise appearance.)