The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who own the first and second overall selections, respectively, in NBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm, will square off at NBA Summer League 2017 on Saturday, July 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The matchup between the potential top two picks in the June 22 draft was announced today as the game and broadcast schedules for NBA Summer League 2017 were unveiled. The 11-day, 67-game competition tips off with a tripleheader on NBA TV on Friday, July 7 and continues through Monday, July 17 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.
A record 24 NBA teams will participate in a tournament-style format that culminates with a Championship Game on July 17 at 10 p.m. ET, broadcast for the first time on ESPN. Last year’s event, won by the returning champion Chicago Bulls, set records for total attendance, single-day attendance, combined viewership across ESPN and NBA TV, and traffic to the NBA’s social media platforms.
ESPN will present all 67 games from Las Vegas across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the ESPN App, including 35 on its linear television channels. NBA TV will air 28 games, starting with the league’s opener on July 7, when the Toronto Raptors meet the New Orleans Pelicans at 6 p.m. ET. In total, 63 games from Las Vegas will air across ESPN and NBA TV’s linear channels – a Summer League record.
The field features the teams that hold the top five overall picks in NBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm: the Celtics (No. 1), Lakers (No. 2), Philadelphia 76ers (No. 3), Phoenix Suns (No. 4) and Sacramento Kings (No. 5). In total, eight of the top 10 picks in this month’s draft belong to teams that will play in Las Vegas.
The Lakers will be part of the opening-day schedule on Friday, July 7 at the Thomas & Mack Center as they face the L.A. Clippers, who are appearing in the NBA Summer League for the first time since 2014 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The second day of action is scheduled to include the top three selections of NBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm, with ESPN’s matchup between the Celtics and Lakers followed by ESPN2’s telecast of Philadelphia vs. the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. ET.
On Monday, July 10, NBA TV presents a doubleheader beginning with a 2017 NBA Finals rematch between the NBA Champion Warriors and finalist Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:30 p.m. ET, followed by a 10:30 p.m. ET game between the Lakers and Kings.
Teams will play three preliminary games between July 7-11 before being seeded in a tournament that starts on July 12 and concludes with the Championship Game on Monday, July 17. Each team will play a minimum of five games in Las Vegas.
Tickets for NBA Summer League 2017 are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com.
Click here to view the Lakers Summer League Roster.
Below is the Lakers’ schedule for NBA Summer League 2017 (all times pacific).
| GAME | DAY | DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | ARENA | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday | July 7 | LA Clippers | 5:30 pm | Thomas & Mack | Spectrum SN, ESPN |
| 2 | Saturday | July 8 | Boston Celtics | 5:30 pm | Thomas & Mack | Spectrum SN, ESPN |
| 3 | Monday | July 10 | Sacramento Kings | 7:30 pm | Thomas & Mack | Spectrum SN, NBA TV |
| 4 & 5 | To be determined after seeding, starting on July 12 | |||||
