<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Once the launching pad for such future NBA stars as Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, Baron Davis and many others, the latest incarnation of that annual Walter Pyramid basketball event - the Summer Pro League - will be a drastically different version than its predecessor. For one thing, there no longer will be any NBA-affiliated teams, as the Lakers have joined the Clippers and others in the exodus to Las Vegas. For another, it will last a mere week in Long Beach - July 8-15 - and feature 25 to 30 free agent teams, including ones from Poland, Korea, China, Taiwan and Puerto Rico, and eight games a day for a modest admission price. And, for still another, Nike has invested heavily in it - the SPL's opening round of games will be held on July 7 at the company's Hollywood facility, The Point - and become a partner with John Younesi, the long-time president and CEO of the operation. "We're, obviously, going to have a totally different format than before with an emphasis on giving a lot of young basketball players a chance to show scouts what they can do," says Younesi. "And you can be sure there will be a few who were overlooked in the draft and will be discovered here like Marquis Daniels and Smush Parker and Eduardo Najera were."</div> Source: Press-Telegram The Long Beach SPL won't have any NBA teams this year.
<div class="quote_poster">Brok3n Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Awesome for Vegas fans like myself though! </div> Dude you live in Vegas, how much entertainment can you ask for?
I don't see what's so bad about it... It's only Summer Leagues, but I guess since it's in Vegas, it'll be pretty hard for Lakers fans to drive all the way over there
