JackJumpers make crucial connections at NBA Summer League

The Tasmania JackJumpers are increasingly being recognised as a destination club across the international basketball scene with Co-CEO Jorrick Chivers and Head Coach Scott Roth attending several days of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

A mecca for global scouting, Summer League brings together X NBA clubs to compete for the tournament title, but importantly test emerging talent ahead of the NBA Draft, while also allowing international clubs to identify possible imports.

For Chivers and Roth, visiting Summer League is an important step forward in the club’s history.

“The intent of coming over here is to grow relationships and meet agents and players face to face that we’ve been dealing with over the last two years. Covid made it difficult to get over here to this point, so this is our first real experience of Summer League and so far it’s been really positive” Co-CEO Jorrick Chivers said.

Chivers has met with dozens of agents, scouts, as well as EuroLeague and NBA representatives ensuring the JackJumpers can be considered as a club of choice for top level talent.

“Being able to meet these guys in person and make those connections is super important.

“The real benefit for us is being able to interact with those guys, see how they operate and also see the show that the NBA have put on as well.

“We’re always looking for new ideas on how we can continue to elevate our game day and enhance the experience for both put fans and put players so we’ll take a lot away from that as well. But it also proves that we’re doing a lot of things right” Chivers said.

Scott Roth is a man in demand at Summer League, with many people recognising and reconnecting with the Head Coach and congratulating him on the club’s success in the first two seasons.

While other NBL clubs have sent representatives to Summer League to recruit for the upcoming NBL24 season, the JackJumpers have had the main roster locked away for several weeks.

Roth gave the NBL’s Pete Hooley an update ahead of preseason beginning later this month.

“Milton [Doyle] was the key for us, we felt very good about where we were with him all along, basically had a deal done for quite some time with him and to have him for two years is going to be exciting. That was the first building block of then what we wanted to put around him” Roth said.

“We have an exciting player in Crawford, I think people are going to fall in love with him. Just how dynamic he is. And then Marcus Lee has proven himself to be a really good shot blocker and around the rim.

“So I’m happy with the squad. But we’ll get pitted [to finish] 10^th again and we’ll do what we have to do”.

Roth will arrive back in Tasmania next week ahead of a ‘Mini Camp’ with the JackJumpers Australian players from July 24.