The Los Angeles Lakers Summer League team took the floor at the Thomas and Mack Center with their new Head Coach sitting court side and tons of adoring fans in the stands.
NBA Summer League play started Friday when the Lakers took the floor against Buddy Hield and the New Orleans Pelicans. The fan anticipation was unreal. What would Brandon Ingram bring to the team? Who’s this Ivica Zubac guy and is he any good? Will D’Angelo Russell play well with Ingram?
Although this was not the regular season, and the game wasn’t being played at the STAPLES Center, fans were able to get a glimpse during summer league of what they can look forward to next season.
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Lakers fans traveled to Las Vegas in droves to be present for this momentous occasion. They were about to witness last years No. 3 draft pick, and this years No. 2 draft pick take the floor together for the first time. And if that wasn’t enough, they were going to be playing against this years No. 3 draft pick Buddy Hield. And with 90 minutes until game time, the arena was full of purple and gold jerseys.
Lakers fans also got a peek at Kris Dunn and his Timberwolves. Dunn’s game ran long and Lakers fans were restless even though Dunn was putting on a point guard clinic.
Most fans couldn’t actually see who would be leading the Lakers on to the court, it seemed to be on purpose the way the lineup was exposed. Brandon Ingram entered on the side and ran onto the court with a huge smile on his face to a crazy frenzied applause all alone. Fans stood up and didn’t want to sit down.
https://twitter.com/SportsCrazee/status/751641686816665601
With Head Coach Luke Walton sitting on floor seats diagonally from his team, Brandon showed fans why he was the second pick in the draft immediatley. We could not get enough of every play Ingram made, he was everywhere on the court. On one play, he rebounded the ball, dribbled it up the court and danced his way to the basket for an acrobatic layup, the crowd went nuts.
The very pleasant surprise of the day was the Lakers No. 32 draft pick Ivica Zubac’s performance. “Zoooob” (his newly given fan nickname) was all of his 7-foot-1 presence on the court. Every block he made, every basket he sank brought fans to their feet.
Zubac enjoyed playing for the fans as well. According to Mike Trudell, “Larry Nance, Jr. said Ivica Zubac came up to him in the middle of the game and said: “I love playing for Lakers!”
Coach Jesse Murmuys commented on Zubac post-game, “I don’t know if he understands what I’m saying, but he delivers.” His coach is absolutely right, he delivered.
Here are Zoob’s highlights from his first game as a Laker in Summer League play:
must read: Lakers Summer League: 3 Takeaways From Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans
Besides the one fan who complained at the top of his lungs over and over again at Lakers EVP of Basketball Operations Jim Buss about the huge Timofey Mozgov contract, Lakers fans at the Thomas Mack Center got their $34 worth: the Lake Show in Las Vegas.