Vickerman proud to see stars shine at Summer League

Melbourne United Head Coach Dean Vickerman admitted this year’s visit to NBA Summer League was amongst the most special he has ever experienced.

Vickerman made the trip over to Las Vegas to scout potential talent to round-out his NBL25 lineup, while also getting to see some of the stars of his NBL24 team take to the court.

Ariel Hukporti, Luke Travers and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr all impressed across their playing time, leaving Vickerman feeling proud at the work United and the league has done over the years to get NBL players performing on this stage.

“I’ve been going to Summer League for over 10 years and there’s never been a scenario like we had this season where in just about every game there’s a guy that has come through this league,” he explained.

“For us to have Luke, Jo and Ariel on the court and really playing well was really special. I take a lot of pride in having those guys come through our program and showcase their skill at Summer League. 

“It’s something the league should be proud of as well. In our conversations with agents, the NBL’s reputation just continues to be elevated to the point where teams are reaching out talking about stashing players here to get better in the future if the right opportunity was there.”

The United trio made up part of the 21 current and former NBL players to compete throughout Summer League.

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