Legends Summer Getaway and Golf Experience

BY Erin Law

For another amazing summer, the basketball world came together in Las Vegas for the highly anticipated 2023 NBA Summer League and this year’s Legends Summer Getaway, proudly hosted by the NBRPA.

This year, members of the NBRPA family traveled from far and wide to spend three incredible days together on the Las Vegas Strip. From July 9-11, the reunions and reminiscing were abundant thanks to our largest turnout of NBRPA members, guests, partners, and media in our organization’s history.

This year’s gathering took our annual meetup to new heights, complete with programming powered by Amazon and Google, visits to NBA Summer League, Topgolf and Spanish Trail Country Club, and a first-class stay at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Day one of the Legends Summer Getaway tipped off with the opening of the Legends Lounge, a tradition like none other. We distributed hefty swag bags, kept the beverages flowing, and re-hashed old rivalries on the half court at the center of the Legends Lounge. Our partners showed up for NBRPA members this summer like never before, providing countless resources, one-on-one consultations, and networking opportunities that will span long past our time in Las Vegas. Local and national media outlets and journalists also had a strong presence at this year’s Media Day (concurrent with the Legends Lounge), conducting extended interviews and documenting the timeless stories and insights that basketball legends have to share.

As the evening portion of day one rolled around, our educational programming began with the Emerging Opportunities Summit Powered by Amazon. The summit was moderated by WNBA veteran and Boston Celtics scout Ashley Battle, who was accompanied on stage by panelists, fellow WNBA alums and business gurus Mistie Bass-Boyd and Renee Montgomery, as well as Randye Rand, Head of Talent Relations at the SpringHill Company, and Wesley Snell Jr., Senior Manager of Proactive Security for Amazon Web Services (AWS). This powerhouse of panelists led a meaningful discussion about their career paths and the opportunities available to NBRPA members within their respective industries and beyond.

We concluded day one with a group outing to everyone’s favorite nighttime destination off the Las Vegas Strip: Topgolf. Attendees mingled all night, showed off their golf swing (Detlef Schrempf has an impressive left-handed and right-handed technique), enjoyed delicious BBQ, and rounded out an incredible first day of the Legends Summer Getaway.

Day two began bright and early with NBRPA Health Screenings, continuing our organization’s mission of providing preventative long-term healthcare check-ups at every major event. Our healthcare providers, with an assist from our partners at ArimaHealth, ensured every attendee left the event with a comprehensive understanding of their health and next steps to guarantee their lifelong wellbeing.

After receiving clean bills of health, an eager and competitive group of NBRPA members headed to the Spanish Trail Country Club for 18 holes of golf on a beautiful July morning. The outing included breakfast and lunch, as well as recognition and awards for the top three highest scoring players –– congratulations to NBRPA Chairman Choo Smith for having the best game of the day!

Those who didn’t attend the golf outing enjoyed a lively afternoon of Brunch ‘N Bubbles, after which all the golfers and brunch attendees alike reconvened back at the Legends Lounge to make their way to the next stop of the day: NBA Summer League. As in years past, NBRPA members enjoyed the premium hospitality in the courtside Michelob ULTRA lounge while watching the league’s up-and-coming talent, including the highly anticipated debut of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.

The latter part of the day moved right into the second summit of this year’s event, the Business of Basketball Summit Powered by Google. CBS Sports Analyst and NBA veteran Clark Kellogg moderated the discussion and was joined by panelists and fellow NBA alums Jerry Stackhouse, Derrick Coleman and Evan Turner, as well as WNBA alum Ticha Penicheiro. This All-Star team of panelists led a wide-ranging and engaging conversation about their own careers on the court and beyond, as well as how basketball served as a catalyst for the future endeavors in their life.

We had to end day two of the Legends Summer Getaway the only way we know how: by bringing down the house with a Players Party and a packed dance floor well into the early hours of day three. NBRPA members may be retired from basketball, but there’s no doubt that their footwork is timeless.

Although we hate to say goodbye, we love to end this event with the annual Members Meeting, including heartfelt addresses to membership from NBRPA Chairman Choo Smith and NBRPA President & CEO Scott Rochelle. After the group photo was taken, business cards and phone numbers were exchanged, and some final hugs and high-fives were given, we officially concluded another incredibly fun and memorable Legends Summer Getaway.

Same time next year?

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