SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 25, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — NBA summer league basketball is headed back to the Delta Center in July.
Yes, that’s July 2023; and no, it’s not the Rocky Mountain Revue.
The Utah Jazz on Tuesday announced the Salt Lake City Summer League would return for an eighth consecutive season July 3-6. Because the four-team, round-robin tournament tips off after the team begins its new naming rights agreement with Delta Air Lines on July 1, games will be played in the Delta Center for the first time since 2006.
The Jazz will join summer league teams from the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers for games July 3 and July 5-6. No games are scheduled for July 4.
“Salt Lake City Summer League is a fun, casual environment where our local community can continue to celebrate their love of basketball during the NBA’s offseason,” said Jonathan Rinehart, president of the Salt Lake City Stars, Salt Lake City Summer League and Jazz Gaming. “At Summer League, you can feel the electric energy thanks to many players making their NBA debut, and we look forward to giving our passionate, loyal fans a first look at the Jazz’s highly anticipated 2023 draft class.”
The Jazz’s home arena was known as the Delta Center when it opened in 1991, but the airline didn’t renew its contract after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005. It became EnergySolutions Arena in November 2006 until October 2015, when it was renamed Vivint Smart Home Arena. In August 2020, Vivint shortened the name to Vivint Arena.
The Delta Center in 1991 began hosting the Rocky Mountain Revue, which featured between four and 16 NBA summer league teams before it was canceled in 2009 due to declining participation. The Utah Jazz Summer League brought the annual showcase of rookies and young NBA talent back to Salt Lake City in 2015. The event was rebranded as the Salt Lake City Summer League in 2019.
Last year’s Salt Lake City Summer League featured the debuts of No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and Rookie of the Year finalist Jalen Williams. Other past notable participants include Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. and NBA All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum and Trae Young.
Single-game tickets and three-day passes are expected to be available beginning in May at SLCSummerLeague.com. A schedule of games has not yet been announced.
