Playing
for love and no money ... Sacramento summer league helps some
stay sharp
In Year 20, the
league has emerged as one of the premier summer league
sessions in the country. It has changed names and venues a
half-dozen times, but one thing remains: The SPDL has become a
magnet for regional high school and college players, past and
present, looking to sharpen their craft.
Or, ultimately, to
earn a basketball paycheck somewhere - anywhere - with the
ultimate gauge coming in the form of the periodic NBA talent.
For Bibby, Jackson
and 2004 Kings first-round pick Kevin Martin, the SPDL might
be their only run for a good while if there's an NBA lockout.
The glue to the
operation and the man who ensures that the SPDL thrives is
Guss Armstead.
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Ex-Cordova star
shines against basketball elite ... It may have been just
six basketball games. But those games did a lot for Zach
Andrews' confidence.
The former Cordova
High School and Yuba College standout participated in the
Sacramento Professional Development League at Capital
Christian High School and discovered he can play with the
best.
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Hornets
hope Pugh airs it out
...Appearance on ESPN in slam dunk contest might help him and
Sac State
Staying sharp in the summer. A developmental league lures
several Kings players.
That Matt Barnes and Bobby Jackson will be playing Monday
night in the opening game of the Sacramento Professional
Developmental League at Capital Christian Center is not
surprising.
That Mike Bibby and Eddie House
are expected to join them is a first for the league organized
and run by local basketball guru Guss Armstead. Professional
summer leagues are somewhat famous for their surprise
participants (and no-shows) on any given night, and this one
is no different.
"One thing I'm happy about this
year is some of the Kings who are around town like Mike and
Eddie have said they were going to play," said Armstead, who
played at Sacramento State and in the league when it was known
as the Pro-Am, and has run it for more than a decade. "Guys
like Matt and Bobby have been so supportive of the league, as
have the Kings organization and Dr. Ronald Blanchette, who
have sponsored teams every year."
In addition to providing
competition during the summer for players who love the game,
the league is designed to help players improve in a controlled
environment.
"What we're trying to do is get
the guys who have professional aspirations," Armstead said.
"And there are a lot of different levels at which you can earn
money playing basketball. So just as this is a good thing for
the NBA guys, it's good thing for a guy like (former Grant
High and Sacramento State star) Jameel Pugh, who is trying to
get a look from an NBA team, or (Galt's) Phil Ricci, who
didn't make the NBA this past season but had a good year
playing in Spain."
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Basketball
exchange a big success ... Fans see Bobby Jackson play in
town for the last time.... Bobby Jackson's last game in
Sacramento was Friday night. The evening started with
Jackson receiving a rousing ovation from a packed house at
Capital Christian High School.
