Summer Pro League facts for kids
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| Sport | basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Ceased | 2007 |
| Replaced by | NBA Summer League |
| Country | United States |
| Venue(s) | Walter Pyramid |
| TV partner(s) | Prime Sports (1987–89) SportsChannel (1994) ESPN 2 (1995) ESPN (2001–02) |
The Summer Pro League (SPL) was a basketball league held every summer in Long Beach, California. It was also known as the Southern California Summer Pro League. This league started in 1969 and ran until 2007. It was a place where young basketball players, including those picked in the NBA draft, could show off their skills.
The SPL moved to the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State in 1995. Before that, games were played at different places in the Los Angeles area. These included universities like UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and Pepperdine University.
Even though the NBA did not run the SPL, NBA teams often sent their new players. This included players chosen in the draft, those not drafted, and free agents. In 1998, no NBA teams joined because of an NBA player lockout. The year 2006 was the last time NBA teams played in the SPL. This was because another league, the Las Vegas Summer League, became more popular. The SPL's final year was 2007, when only amateur teams played.
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Exciting Moments and Famous Players
The Summer Pro League saw many famous players and interesting events over the years.
Early Years of the SPL
In 1976, the Summer Pro League games were held at California State University, Los Angeles. Four NBA teams played there: the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks.
The 1979 SPL championship game was played on August 12. A team sponsored by Adidas played against "Athletes in Action." Athletes in Action, led by Marvin Delph, won the game 116–103.
In 1980, Bernard King was named the Summer Pro League's Most Valuable Player. He played for the Golden State Warriors.
Women in the League
In 1981, Nancy Lieberman played for the Los Angeles Lakers SPL team. She was already a professional player with the Dallas Diamonds. When asked if she was trying to join the NBA, Lieberman said she was not. She explained she was not trying to prove she could play in the NBA.
NBA Stars and Teams
Marc Iavaroni signed with the Philadelphia 76ers after playing well in the 1982 Summer Pro League. He later became a starter for the 1983 NBA Champion team.
In 1983, NBA legend Bill Walton put together a team called "Walton's All-Stars." This team was coached by Walt Hazzard and included players like Kiki VanDeWeghe and Greg Lee. Lee had been signed by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1975 because of his strong performance in the SPL that year.
The 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team played in the Summer Pro League to get ready for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. That year, the SPL was held in San Diego, California, at Peterson Gym on the campus of San Diego State University.
In 1986, A. C. Green of the Los Angeles Lakers led the league in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 29 points and 14 rebounds per game.
SPL on TV
The Summer Pro League was shown on TV from 1987 to 1989 on Prime Sports Network. In 1994, it was on SportsChannel. The next year, 1995, it was broadcast on ESPN 2. Later, in 2001 and 2002, ESPN showed the games.
Kobe Bryant's Early Days
Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers team during the 1996 Summer Pro League. In one game, he scored 27 points in just 26 minutes. The Pistons coach, Alvin Gentry, was very impressed. He said Bryant reminded him of Michael Jordan. Bryant averaged 25 points in the league that year. He returned to play in the SPL again in 1997.
All-Star Teams and Other Sports Stars
In 1999, the Summer Pro League named its All-Star Team. Players like Paul Pierce from the Boston Celtics and Andre Miller from the Cleveland Cavaliers were chosen for the NBA division team.
In 2000, football star Randy Moss even put together a team for the Summer Pro League. He played three games and averaged 12.7 points and six rebounds per game.
In 2001, Magic Johnson had a team that played one game against a team called the "Young Guns." This team included other football players like Terrell Owens and Tony Gonzalez.
The SPL Dream Team
In 2003, the Summer Pro League announced a "SPL Dream Team." This team featured famous basketball players who had played in the league. The first team included Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, Moses Malone, Karl Malone, and Kobe Bryant. The second team had Isiah Thomas, Reggie Miller, David Robinson, Dominique Wilkins, and Tracy McGrady.
NBA Teams in Later Years
In the 2003 SPL season, nine NBA teams took part. These included the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, and Toronto Raptors. In 2004, some of these teams were replaced by others like the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs.
