The NBA’s Summer League might not give us the best quality of basketball, at least from a team perspective.
But it gives us the first glimpse of the superstars of tomorrow, as rookies have the chance to take the floor for the first time as professionals to prove just why their teams were so high on them in the first place.
With that in mind, NBA fans took to Twitter to reminisce about a legendary Summer League matchup that took place on this day in 2003.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade — the No. 1 and No. 5 pick, respectively — squared off in one of the instant classics of this event, and the fans had plenty to say about that.
People forget Wade was great
— ///M6♒ŁÂTÊËF (@zaidorade_24) July 3, 2023
Orlando practice facility games were fun to watch
— Stefan Markovic (@MarkovicStefan4) July 3, 2023
Then Bron couldn’t win a ring on his own so he had to go to Dwade’s team 😭😭
— NBA Unlimited (@NBA_Unlimited_) July 3, 2023
Footage 20 years old.
— Chancellor. (@ChanceMack) July 3, 2023
Already colluding to play for The heat lol
— DatFilipinoDude (@DatFilipinoDude) July 3, 2023
James and Wade took the league by storm right away long before they wound up teaming up to dominate with the Miami Heat.
One never knows how a rookie’s career will turn out, but there are always projections and comparisons.
So, perhaps, this year’s closest thing to this could be the impending matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets, as it’ll feature the No. 1 and No. 2 pick in Victor Wembanyama vs. Brandon Miller.
Looking back, there’s a chance some people will talk about this upcoming matchup the same way they talk about this LeBron vs. Wade clash nowadays.
Of course, countless things could go wrong in a young player’s career, and the chances of them having as impressive résumés as Wade or James once it’s all said and done is quite slim.
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