NBA `Stars of Tomorrow' coming to LV for league

Six NBA squads are slated to call the area home from Tuesday through July 18 as the Reebok Vegas Summer League "Stars of Tomorrow" comes to the Cox Pavilion.

Las Vegas native Marcus Banks and the Boston Celtics are one of the featured teams, along with the Orlando Magic, the Denver Nuggets, the Washington Wizards, the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There will be nightly doubleheaders at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through July 15, with a tripleheader scheduled for July 16 at 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and an afternoon twinbill slated to cap things off July 17, at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

"We are really excited for the NBA summer league to come to the Cox Pavilion and for all these great players to have the opportunity to play in our market," said Daren Libonati, arena director for the Cox Pavilion, Thomas & Mack Center and Sam Boyd Stadium. "It's fantastic that the city of Las Vegas has a chance to see these players first, before they don their NBA uniforms for their respective teams."

Libonati and Warren LeGarie, president of VSL Properties, who helped bring the event to town, pushed for it for years.

"I feel this can be successful for years to come, as we hope to make this event a long-standing tradition in Las Vegas," said LeGarie.

Daily passes, which start at $15 for children, and all-session passes, which start at $75, can be purchased by calling 739-3267 or visiting unlvtickets.com or any unlvtickets outlet or the Thomas & Mack Center box office.

The games will be played under NBA rules and the rosters will feature rookies, second-year players and free agents, although Cleveland's LeBron James and Denver's Carmelo Anthony aren't expected to play.

The Magic will feature recent No. 1 draft pick Dwight Howard, from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and Jameer Nelson from St. Joseph's University.

In addition to Banks, a lottery pick last year who played for Cimarron-Memorial High School and UNLV, the Celtics will feature first-round draft picks Al Jefferson of Prentiss High School in Mississippi, Delonte West of St. Joseph's, and Tony Allen of Oklahoma State.

The Washington Wizards are slated to feature second-year player Jared Jeffries and recent draft pick Peter John Ramos, a 7-foot-3 center from Puerto Rico.

The schedule of games is as follows: Tuesday, Suns-Wizards at 5 p.m., Nuggets-Celtics at 7:30 p.m.; July 14, Magic-Nuggets at 5 p.m., Cavaliers-Suns at 7:30; July 15, Wizards-Magic at 5 p.m., Celtics-Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m.; July 16, Nuggets-Cavaliers at 2:30 p.m., Magic-Suns at 5 p.m., Wizards-Celtics at 7:30 p.m.; July 17, Magic-Celtics at 5 p.m., Wizards-Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m.; July 18, Cavaliers-Magic at 2:30 p.m., Celtics-Wizards at 5 p.m.


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