L.A. Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson plays in Las Vegas. (GETTY IMAGES)
LAS VEGAS — You don’t have to be a basketball junkie to love the NBA Summer League, especially if the venue is Las Vegas, Nevada. For the general admission price of $25 you get to watch a slew of games at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. And if you’re paying attention you could bump into some celebrities or NBA executives.
That’s like watching four live shows for the same price you would pay for a dinner buffet at Mandalay Bay.
Each year I make a pilgrimage to Sin City to observe and absorb what is fast becoming one of the best shows on the Vegas Strip. This year should real exciting with most of the heralded 2015 NBA draft class — headed by Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), D’Angelo Russell (L.A. Lakers) and Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia 76ers) — playing for their new teams.
Here is the 2015 NBA Las Vegas Summer League schedule, featuring 24 teams and 67 games over 11 days. All times Pacific:
Friday, July 10
Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. New Orleans
5 p.m. – Atlanta vs. Denver
7 p.m. – D-League Select vs. Houston
Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. – Sacramento vs. Toronto
5:30 p.m. – Minnesota vs. L.A. Lakers
7:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Cleveland
Saturday, July 11
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. – New Orleans vs. Dallas
3 p.m. – Washington vs. Phoenix
5 p.m. – Boston vs. Portland
7 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Cleveland
Thomas & Mack
1:30 p.m. – New York vs. San Antonio
3:30 p.m. – Chicago vs. Minnesota
5:30 p.m. – L.A. Lakers vs. Philadelphia
7:30 p.m. – Miami vs. Utah
Sunday, July 12
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. – Washington vs. D-League Select
3 p.m. – Chicago vs. Toronto
5 p.m. – Sacramento vs. Denver
7 p.m. – Portland vs. Dallas
Thomas & Mack
1:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs. Houston
3:30 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. San Antonio
5:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Atlanta
7:30 p.m. – Philadelphia vs. Boston
Monday, July 13
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. – Cleveland vs. Milwaukee
3 p.m. – D-League Select vs. Atlanta
5 p.m. – Miami vs. Denver
7 p.m. – Toronto vs. Houston
Thomas & Mack
1:30 p.m. – New Orleans vs. Brooklyn
3:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Sacramento
5:30 p.m. – L.A. Lakers vs. New York
7:30 p.m. – Utah vs. Minnesota
Tuesday, July 14
Cox Pavilion
12 p.m. – Portland vs. San Antonio
2 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Chicago
4 p.m. – Miami vs. Boston
Thomas & Mack
12:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Dallas
2:30 p.m. – New York vs. Philadelphia
4:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs. Utah
Playoffs begin Wednesday, July 15