Impact Vegas Summer League Rosters & Schedule Announced
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:45 am
Las Vegas summer league is alive and well after all.
Sort of.
While the NBA's official summer league was canceled in July as a result of the lockout, more than 50 players will be descending on Sin City to take part in a league at Impact Academy, starting on Sept. 12. And while the labor gap between owners and players means an actual season is likely still many months away, the Vegas session that was first reported by Hoopsworld will have the feel of an unofficial training camp for a number of teams.
Call it Phase II of lockout life for the players. While ventures such as these won't provide much-needed leverage in the nearly nonexistent negotiations with the league's owners, they will certainly help when it comes to staying in shape during the prolonged work stoppage.
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.•Games will be played in the afternoons and evenings, Monday through Friday for two weeks starting Sept. 12, with playoffs to follow thereafter.
• Abunassar is envisioning a maximum of eight teams in the league with seven players per team.
Sam Amick, Sports Illustrated