Two former Fukushima Firebonds standouts made their 2016 NBA Las Vegas Summer League debuts on Friday night.
Guard Verdell Jones III, who played college ball at Indiana University, had a team-best 12 points with three rebounds, three assists and a block for the NBA D-League Select squad in a 99-79 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He started and played just under 18 minutes at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Jones, who starred for the Firebonds during the 2014-15 campaign, was 4-for-5 from the floor and shot 3-for-4 at the free-throw line. (He made his Japan debut with the Oita HeatDevils during the 2012-13 season.)
Forward Le'Bryan Nash, who led the bj-league in scoring this past season (26.6 points), suited up for the Milwaukee Bucks on the same night at Cox Pavillion. Coming off the bench, the Oklahoma State alum had three points and a block in 5:02 of court time in the Bucks' 81-75 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The D-League Select squad will take on the Bucks on Sunday afternoon, and perhaps Jones and Nash will briefly swap a story or two about playing for the Firebonds.