The NBA first held its Las Vegas summer league in 2004. The inaugural event featured six teams — the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards — and the clubs combined to play a 13-game schedule at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. No champion was crowned that year.
The annual event has since grown into the premier summer showcase for young NBA prospects, recently drafted players and players on G League affiliate rosters. All 30 NBA teams have participated in the event since 2018.
The first official Summer League title was awarded in 2013, when the Golden State Warriors won the tournament. Most subsequent years have produced a champion; the 2020 edition was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Champions by year: 2013 — Golden State Warriors; 2014 — Sacramento Kings; 2015 — San Antonio Spurs; 2016 — Chicago Bulls; 2017 — Los Angeles Lakers; 2018 — Portland Trail Blazers; 2019 — Memphis Grizzlies; 2020 — Canceled because of COVID-19; 2021 — Sacramento Kings; 2022 — Portland Trail Blazers; 2023 — Cleveland Cavaliers; 2024 — Miami Heat; 2025 — Charlotte Hornets. Sacramento and Portland are among the teams that have won the title more than once in that span.
For the latest news, analysis, scores, schedules and standings related to the NBA Summer League, see the ESPN NBA Summer League hub page, according to ESPN.
