The Summer time League Diaries – Half 1

The very first thing I discover about Las Vegas isn’t the lights, though they’re vibrant, or the warmth, though its 120 levels — it’s the noise. The incessant jangling of slots, the music thumping from invisible audio system, and the din of excited dialog. Not solely was this my first journey to NBA Summer time League; it was my first journey to Vegas ever.

It’s July eleventh, I’ve simply landed flying in from Pittsburgh by means of Denver. As my silent cab driver drops me off at Planet Hollywood, I’m formally in Las Vegas. If you already know nothing about me, which I think about is nearly everybody studying this, this journey wasn’t simply about going to Summer time League. It was additionally about assembly with my podcast co-hosts from our pod First to the Ground. I feel one differentiating issue of our present separating it amongst the plethora of Celtics and basketball pods, is that we do it from reverse corners of the world, none of that are Boston, and even New England. I’m stationed in West Virginia, whereas Ben and Jake are Australians. And so they aren’t simply “from” Australia. They presently reside there.

Suffice to say, we don’t get loads of alternatives to satisfy, even Ben and Jake reside in numerous components of Australia (apparently, they’ve states too, who knew?). In truth, I’d solely ever met Ben in individual as soon as, after we went to the 2022 NBA Finals collectively, and Jake I’d by no means met. There’s a singular feeling that comes with assembly two individuals in-person that you simply’ve spoken to endlessly over the web. A giddy pleasure to see two people who I’d think about superb buddies at this level, combined with a tinge of hysteria round seeing them in 3 dimensions as a substitute of two. I by no means thought a spotlight of my thirty seventh yr on Earth could be assembly my web buddies, however welcome to 2024.

After I drop my luggage off at my resort room (incurring a $28.00 early check-in charge, welcome to Vegas), I begin the seek for someplace to attend. Ben’s simply landed after a 20+ hour journey and wishes time to assemble himself earlier than assembly with me. Jake’s as a consequence of land round 6 pm. It’s this set of circumstances that leads me to Cabo Wabo.

Apparently, Cabo Wabo is a tequila model. The bar looks like someplace sunburned middle-aged people would congregate at Myrtle Seaside, a scene I’m not unfamiliar with. The bartender is pierced and tattooed, chatty, however not overly. We bond over mouthing the lyrics to Rage Towards the Machine’s “Guerilla Radio” on the similar time, a head nod of respect.

Time is only a suggestion in Vegas, however about midway by means of margarita #3, I hear the acquainted Aussie-twinged “Spooney!” from behind me. Ben has arrived.

I flip round, get out of my seat, and we execute a barely awkward however wholly earnest dap/hug mixture. We commiserate about our pleasure for Summer time League and Jordan Walsh (didn’t age effectively) and conclude with how a lot we love our youngsters after 20 minutes of complaining about them. We’re off to a bar name Beer Park, the place we now have a drink and a few wings because the Vegas solar creeps nearer to the horizon.

Then it’s off to the Paris On line casino the place Ben loses an undisclosed quantity in beneath half-hour. Time melts away and, as Janos would say, “whiskey is pour.” Then a textual content comes by means of. It’s time to satisfy Jake out entrance. The congregation full.

Hugs are had, Jake mentions that it’s bizarre seeing me within the flesh (I feel, it’s all a bit hazy by that time), I remark that I’m truly actual, not completely believing it at that time. We gamble for some time; Ben data a 10-minute dialog between Jake and I about one of the best beginning Pokémon (we agree that its Squirtle). Sooner or later we head to mattress; all of our pockets only a bit lighter. Summer time League formally begins tomorrow.

Jake (additionally staying at Planet Hollywood) and I meet Ben on the Aria the place he’s staying. We snag an Uber to the Thomas & Mack Middle. It’s a contemporary venue not all that completely different from TD Backyard, the jerseys of UNLV legends like Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon including to the hallowed nature of the proceedings.

We shortly be taught that the fantastic thing about Summer time League is that the video games are performed on the Thomas & Mack and Cox Pavilion, that are hooked up. $45 to get within the door after which it’s all you’ll be able to devour basketball till late into the night time.

The very first thing we hear when getting into Thomas & Mack, even above the din of dialog, is the squeaking of sneakers on the hardwood. I dare somebody to discover a higher sound than that — the basketball equal of Symphony Quantity 9. There’s an exclamatory cheer: somebody will need to have dunked. I can really feel the anticipation constructing, however first we cease off at aconcession stand.

Ben and I’ve the primary of a sequence of beer-related miscommunications and we find yourself with 5 beers as a substitute of three. We persevere and discover some glorious seats within the first row of the balcony.

Our introductory sport is Timberwolves-Pelicans. It’s unremarkable apart from Jake commenting on what number of pictures Jordan Hawkins is taking and lacking (6/23 by sport’s finish), and me cheering for Jesse Edwards, who went to my alma mater of West Virginia College and who additionally promptly will get dunked on when he enters the sport. Then, the actual present begins.

Recreation 2 is the Los Angeles Lakers in opposition to the Houston Rockets. There are a number of fascinating storylines at play right here. For Houston, we’re giddy that Cam Whitmore is inexplicably enjoying, and excited to get a primary glimpse at Reed Sheppard, third choose within the draft. The heavy Lakers crowd (Vegas is a really quick flight and a straightforward drive from LA) are right here for one man: Bronny James.

There’s an enormous cascade of cheers each time Bronny makes a shot in warmups. The Lakers followers live and dying with Bronny. At one level, nonetheless in warmups, he tries to throw himself an alley-oop. It fails spectacularly, the Lakers followers audibly groan, and I can’t comprise the guffaw that erupts from my mouth. As a LeBron hater, I’ve nothing in opposition to Bronny, but it surely’s tough to separate father from son and I’m a nasty individual. The Lakers fan sitting subsequent to us doesn’t respect it.

The Lakers crowd provides the sport an electrical ambiance. Each Dalton Knecht three is met with raucous cheers; each Cam Whitmore dunk uncomfortable silence. Whitmore shortly establishes he’s approach too good for Summer time League, and Bronny shortly establishes he ought to have stayed one other yr (or two) at USC.

I received’t sugar coat it; we’re watching a brutal sport from James. The Lakers followers begin loudly groaning for each missed Bronny jumper. It’s uncooked, uncut schadenfreude for Celtics followers.

Sooner or later within the fourth quarter, the unimaginable occurs. I begin to really feel unhealthy for Bronny James. Whereas he’s had each benefit that life can present you, it’s nonetheless very tough to look at somebody wrestle that loud. It wasn’t even simply loud, it was cacophonously.

However the actual spotlight is Reed Sheppard. Reed is a 6’3” guard out of Kentucky. He was clearly extremely rated after going third within the draft, however what we’re witnessing is the Shep-show. In case you are primarily a Celtics fan and/or didn’t take note of Summer time League, you might be lacking out.

Reed flashes all of it. Absurd passing imaginative and prescient, fast defensive fingers, and the taking pictures,

Oh child, the taking pictures. I preferred Sheppard as a prospect, however I didn’t anticipate this, particularly in his first skilled sport. He doesn’t simply appear like he belongs. He’s making everybody else appear like they don’t. There is no such thing as a higher crowd sound than the “oooohhhhh” a participant generates when he pulls off one thing actually nasty. Sheppard generated a couple of handful of these in his first sport. It was intoxicating, or maybe that was the beer. Both approach, we had been having enjoyable.

After that sport ends, we bounce across the constructing a bit, take a peek at Cox, after which settle in at Thomas & Mack for the large showdown with the #1 choose versus quantity 2 choose. Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, are you able to fell the EXCITEMENT?

The followers in Vegas very a lot don’t really feel the thrill. The gang has palpably thinned after the Hawks and Wizards get beneath approach with the Lakers followers leaving in disgrace. I speak in confidence to Ben and Jake that I actually like Alex Sarr as a prospect, which is able to come again to hang-out me later. Risacher truly appears to be like fairly strong in his early minutes and Alex Sarr is huge, which could be useful — not for him — however for some gamers.

It’s a reasonably uneventful sport though all of us agree that Bub Carrington seemed good. We find yourself heading again to the Strip someday within the third quarter. The plan is to satisfy up with a couple of different CelticsBlog people and go from there. First, nonetheless, we report and episode of the podcast in Ben’s resort room.

We find yourself discovering the Celticsblog crew, putt across the Aria for a bit, earlier than in the end settling in to seize burgers. We’ve got a pleasant chat, headlined by everybody ganging up on Jack Simone for his take that Payton Pritchard is best than TJ McConnell. All of us resolve it’s finest to name it an early night time as a result of tomorrow the actual enjoyable begins. The Celtics play.

Half 2 coming quickly.