New summer league for NBA players

Shapecity · Jul 31, 2009

On a recent Friday night, former Indiana Pacers Fred Jones and Eddie Gill teamed up again. Sporting red jerseys, they spearheaded their team to a 153-149 victory at Broad Ripple High School.

The game was part of the Knox Pro Train Summer League, an NBA-sanctioned weekend league for professional players.

Organized by former IUPUI player Carlos Knox, the league came about after Knox and Jones decided Indianapolis would be a good place for an organized summer league.
Two games are played Fridays and Saturdays at Broad Ripple, starting at 6 p.m. This weekend is the fourth of eight scheduled.

Before being aware Knox was working to put the league together, Jones, who played last season with former Indiana high school stars Eric Gordon and Zach Randolph with the Los Angeles Clippers, was rallying support for the idea.

"Eric and Zach and I were talking the whole year that we've got to put something together so we can have good games and good competition and bring the crowd out to enjoy it," said Jones, a former NBA slam-dunk champion.
"When we'd go play in San Antonio, I talked to George Hill. I talked to Courtney Lee in Orlando, to Greg Oden and different people. Everybody agreed that we've got to put something together."

Part of the motivation for the league is the unprecedented run of talent in Indianapolis. This coming season, nine high school basketball players from the Indianapolis metro area will be in the NBA: Oden and Mike Conley of Lawrence North, Gordon of North Central, Hill of Broad Ripple, Rodney Carney of Northwest, Josh McRoberts of Carmel and Lee, Jeff Teague and Robert Vaden of Pike.

"I think it's good for the city," said Gill, a free agent who still considers Carmel home. "Indianapolis has been putting out a lot of good players, whether it's the NBA or overseas ball.

"There is some talent here. It's good for guys to stay in game shape throughout the offseason, and this gives guys a chance to get in some good runs."

Last weekend, Jones, Gill and Miami Heat shooting guard Daequan Cook, who won last season's 3-point shooting contest during All-Star weekend, played.

They were joined by players with local ties now playing overseas such as former Indiana University guard Rod Wilmont, Warren Central High school product Jermaine Dearman, former Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball Justin Cage of Pike, Austin Montgomery of IUPUI and others.

This is the first year for the summer league here. The games have referees and include a wide variety of players.

Former Indiana Mr. Basketball Chris Thomas, a Notre Dame alum, played previous weekends.

"This is good because it gets you playing good competition in the summer," said Wilmont, who last season played in the top Italian league that included Earl Boykins and Brandon Jennings, the 10th pick in the 2009 NBA draft.

"I was in Bloomington working out with those (college) guys, but they're younger and it's a little easier. To come here and play with guys like this, you really see where your game's at."

Knox, who trains players locally and also coaches in the Middle East, wants the league to grow from year to year.
"I think it's great for the city," said Dearman, who has played in France, Turkey, Germany and on Yao Ming's former team, the Shanghai Sharks in China.

"We needed something official where everybody can go out, have fun, not worry about any foolishness and get some great competition. I'm happy we have this."
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Source: Indy Star

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New summer league for NBA players

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