Game in Heat (Summer Pro League)

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Lakers’ Sasha Vujacic and Marcus Douthit; Spurs’ Beno Udrih and Romain Sato; Kings’ Kevin Martin and Ricky Minard; Knicks’ Trevor Ariza; and Warriors’ Andris Biedrins are going to try to prove that they are worthy of their respective team’s pick. Along with Isaiah Thomas and the New York Knicks, Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, and the Maloof brothers of the Sacramento Kings, they will be the main attractions at the Pyramid at Long Beach State for the July 10-July 24 run of the 35th Summer Pro League.

Earlier than Magic Johnson’s rise to the ultimate hoopdom and the HIV-positive press conference; prior to Dennis Rodman’s wild days and outrageous hairdos; before Kobe’s Colorado fiasco and alleged campaign to derail the Lakers; and previous to Carmelo Anthony’s spectacular debut in the NBA, there was a league that made these basketball players summer stars, at one point in their career.

The annual summer league serves as a prelude to the pro game for recent draft picks, as well as an opportunity for fringe free agents to show the public what they’ve got.

Over the years, it has seen about 850 former and current NBA players — from Johnson, to Karl Malone, to Bryant, to Tracy McGrady. Some of the greatest basketball players ever to play in the NBA saw action in this summer league for the very first time after being drafted by their particular team.

"We boast of who’s who in basketball," league president, John Younesi, says. He has been a lawyer for 20 years and with the summer league, he hopes to be able to get out of one court and move to another that’s obviously more relaxed and entertaining. He adds that the experience is also very rewarding, since the league not only helps NBA draft picks.

"Aside from phenoms in high school like Kobe, or younger college players like Shane Battier, that you know are going to do well, there are diamonds in the rough that you don’t know are going to be superstars in the pros," Younesi explains. "And when they do well in their first, second year, we can say that nobody expected them to do well; but they really made their bones or earned their wings in our league. There is a sense of pride. And we’re able to help. It’s very satisfying."

The likes of Derek Fisher and Bonzi Wells first got their break in the Summer Pro League. Each year, Younesi and his league plays host to about 160 campers from all over the Northern American Continent who travel to Long Beach, California to go after their dream to become professional. Not a few even come from overseas.

Wang Zhizhi first played in this league before he became the first Chinese player to play in the NBA. Slava Medvedenko who played for the Ukrainian National Team played his very first game as a Laker in this league. Eduardo Najara who played with the Mexican National Team played his first game here before moving on to play with the Dallas Mavericks.

"Anyone who plays basketball has a dream of playing in the NBA, or overseas," league director Nick Colon says. Colon has also worked in the PBA as the strength and conditioning coach of Purefoods for the past two years now. After the TJ Hotdogs made a premature exit from the 2004 Matador Brandy Fiesta Conference, Colon packed his bags to assume his position in this Summer Pro League where he has been an on-and-off director for the past 20 years.

He reveals that Philippine’s own Fil-Am pride Jimmy Alapag is a product of this league. Colon also shares that Purefoods and Talk n’ Text have shown interest and might send over a team next year. For now, Yancy de Ocampo of the Phone Pals is expected to show up anytime during the two-week run of the summer league.

Colon is trying to push for more participation from Filipinos and Fil-Ams in the coming years. Right now, there are four Filipinos coaching in the league.