Start Of NBA Summer League Coincides With NFL Raiders Practice That’s Open To Season Ticket Holders At Allegiant Stadium In Las Vegas Sunday
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
On Sunday, the convergence of the Big Leagues is coming to Las Vegas.
The NBA Summer League, the Woodstock of professional basketball, is starting its Aug 8-17 run at Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday — the same day the NFL Las Vegas Raiders open their practice to season ticket holders at Allegiant Stadium a few miles away.
The Las Vegas Summer League was a quiet event at the start, but all 30 NBA teams now participate in the annual NBA event that was wiped out in July 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for children and they give you access to two gyms’ worth of young NBA players trying to make their mark on their teams. They’ve all passed through Summer League in League, from Steph Curry in 2009 to Zion Williamson a decade later in 2019.
The event is more than just hoops on the courts at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. You will see agents, scouts, GMs and coaches — plus former NBA greats — walking the Thomas & Mack concourse and schmoozing with each other and fans. There’s everything from the NBA experimenting with broadcast technology to a sports business program that’s held during Summer League.
Meanwhile, the Raiders will be holding a practice at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday — the day of NBA Summer League’s first of 75 games starts. Allegiant Stadium is about three miles west of Thomas & Mack Center.
Raiders season ticket holders are invited. The Raiders also had a practice in the stadium last year, but no fans were allowed because of COVID.
The practice is free for all season ticket holders and even the concession stands in Allegiant Stadium will be open.
The Raiders hope to improve on an up-and-down 8-8 season from 2020, which included big wins over playoff teams like the Chiefs and Saints but disappointing losses to the Dolphins and Chargers late in the season. The team 6-3 and vying for a playoff spot before losing five of its final seven games. The Raiders will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 14 before the team hosts the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason match.
Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, who announced he was gay this year, met the media today at Raiders headquarters and camp in Henderson. Here are several media Q and As from the media session.
