The Los Angeles Lakers finished the Las Vegas Summer League season in 12th place with a 3-2 record that highlighted the many young prospects the team has chosen to take a chance on and develop this offseason.
While the attention has been on the Lakers’ trade rumors to acquire Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving, promising young talents like Max Christie, Cole Swider and Scotty Pippen Jr. snuck their way into the Lakers spotlight and have shined brightly.
Even Lakers star LeBron James has taken notice of how seriously good the Lakers young core has proven to be. James took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the work Pippen has been putting in with the team during the Summer League and the future that lies ahead for the young guard:
The kid has a bright future!! 💜💛 https://t.co/YobiiXICsH
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 21, 2022
It seems that NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen appreciated James giving a shoutout to his son:
🔥🔥🔥 Keep grinding, Deuce! @spippenjr https://t.co/7VCefTHJET
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) July 21, 2022
This is not the first time the four-time NBA champion has tweeted about one of his up and coming teammates as James did a similar thing with Austin Reaves. The leadership approach James has taken this offseason by uplifting his teammates will be beneficial to the team chemistry the new look Lakers aspire to have.
How can an aspiring impactful NBA player not be excited to have a Hall of Famer in James compliment their future? Pippen averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 assists and 2.6 steals for the Lakers in five games during the Las Vegas Summer League, including a stellar 15-point outing to help lead the team in a win against the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic.
The 21-year-old guard showcased his ability to score and facilitate with a basketball IQ praised by Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy.
Pippen will look to continue to improve his game during the remainder of the offseason to prepare for a potential call-up to suit up for the Purple and Gold.
McClung signs with Warriors
Seeing former Lakers succeed on other teams should bring joy to Laker fans, especially after G-League Rookie Of The Year for the South Bay Lakers, Mac McClung signed a one-year non-guaranteed deal with the Golden State Warriors.
This deal comes after McClung’s impressive outing in the Summer League with the Lakers in the California Classic and later joining the Warriors for the remainder of the Summer League in Las Vegas.
The 23-year-old guard averaged 13.4 points and 4.8 assists in the Summer League for the Warriors, proving to be an athletic, playmaking guard who can shoot an efficient 50 percent from behind the arc. McClung has started to climb the NBA league ladder with the possibility of staying on the Warriors roster in 2022-23.
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