The NBA Summer League has been good to the Los Angeles Lakers over time, with two of the five best individual performances coming from the Purple & Gold. This year is going to be special, with the debut of Bronny James, who agreed to a 4-year, $7.9 million deal, clearing his way to play in the NBA Summer League.
Expecting Bronny to crack this top-5 list is admittedly optimistic, as Bronny’s best college performances at USC only netted him season-highs of 15 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Still, the atmosphere and opportunity can create magic, even for an undrafted rookie, as it did for the No. 1 performance on our list.
Five Best NBA Summer League Performances of All Time
1. Anthony Morrow, Golden State Warriors (2009)
Anthony Morrow’s explosive performance in 2009 stands as the greatest Summer League achievement of all time. The undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech set a Summer League record by scoring 47 points against the New Orleans Hornets, shooting an impressive 18-for-26 from the field. His shooting touch would translate to the NBA, as he led the league in 3-point percentage as a rookie (.467) and finished his career at .417.
2. Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers (2017)
Lonzo Ball‘s Summer League debut came with a lot of hype, and it delivered. In a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Ball put on a show with a near triple-double, scoring 36 points to go with 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Ball’s performance was a key factor in leading the Lakers to the 2017 Summer League championship, quieting a lot of his critics. Sadly, Ball hasn’t been able to stay healthy, missing portions of each of his first five seasons, before missing all of the last two.
3. Furkan Korkmaz, Philadelphia 76ers (2018)
In a matchup against the Boston Celtics, Furkan Korkmaz lit up the scoreboard with 40 points. The 6-foot-7 guard from Turkey showcased his range by knocking down 8 of 14 three-pointers. Although his team fell short in a 93-89 loss, Korkmaz’s individual brilliance couldn’t be overshadowed. Korkmaz has spent his seven NBA seasons with the 76ers as a bench player, but has yet to develop into more than a serviceable shooter.
4. Josh Hart, Los Angeles Lakers (2018)
Josh Hart‘s Summer League performance in 2018 was a testament to his all-around game. In a double-overtime game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hart scored 37 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. He carried his successful shooting touch over from Villanova, draining six three-pointers. Hart won the Summer League MVP with an impressive average of 24.2 points per game. The now-New York Knicks forward continues to do a bit of everything, averaging 9.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 2023-24.
5. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz (2017)
Rounding out our top five is Donovan Mitchell‘s performance for the Utah Jazz. In a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Mitchell scored 37 points, but even more impressive were his 8 steals. Mitchell’s combination of offensive firepower and opportunistic defending foreshadowed the impact he would soon make in the NBA. Mitchell just extended his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers to the tune of a 3-year, $150.3 million windfall.
Dalton Knecht’s First NBA Summer League
It’s quite usual for a team’s Summer League roster to feature only first and second-year players, and the intrigue is generally centered on the most recent first-round pick, since it’s the first time fans can get a glimpse of what’s to come.
Such is the case this year, with No. 17 overall pick Dalton Knecht, the 6-foot-5 shooter out of Tennessee. As a senior, he averaged 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, making 39.7% of his 3-point attempts.
LeBron James will surely be watching, as he mentioned back before Knecht had been drafted, “You’re going to watch Purdue because of Zach Edey because he’s a great player. We watched that Purdue-Tennessee game because of Zach Edey and Knecht. Players, depending on who they are, will drive the attention when it comes to [television] viewership.”
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