Starting 5, July 10: USAB Showcase tips, Utah & Cali Summer leagues wrap

Steph Curry is all of us trying to pull off an Ant Edwards dunk.

Team USA takes on Team Canada tonight at 10:30 ET (FS1).

THE LINEUP 🏀

What’s inside today’s edition?

USA-Canada Preview: Everything you need to know ahead of tonight’s exhibition match

USAB All-Access: On the ground for Team USA’s final day of training camp

Salt Lake City Day 2: A buzzer-beating win stole the show Tuesday night in Utah

California Classic Day 3: The Hornets are buzzing, and a pair of Spurs rookies are shining

Same Faces, New Places: Four stars headlined Tuesday’s introductory press conferences

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A matinee between the WNBA’s top two teams…

A battle for first place in the W gets underway today as the Connecticut Sun host the New York Liberty at 11:00 a.m. ET on the WNBA App.

The NBA Academy Games tip off, bringing some of the world’s top rising talent together. More in section 5

The Cali Classic and SLC Summer Leagues wrap up today across ESPN2 and NBA TV.

1. USA-CANADA OPEN USA BASKETBALL SHOWCASE

A North American showdown between the United States and Canada tips off the USA Basketball Showcase – five exhibition games to be played over two weeks in preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris – tonight in Las Vegas (10:30 ET, FS1).

Team USA and Team Canada last met exactly 10 months ago, in the bronze medal game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Canada prevailed in an overtime thriller.

• SGA and Brooks: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks combined for 70 points to lead Team Canada to the win
• Bridges Miracle Shot: Mikal Bridges forced OT by intentionally missing a free throw, grabbing his own rebound, taking one dribble to get to the corner and knocking down a fadeaway 3.
• History for Canada: The Canadians earned their first-ever medal in the World Cup, and their first medal in a major international basketball competition since the 1936 Olympics

The Rosters: Team Canada will return most of its World Cup team for the Olympics – with notable additions of Jamal Murray, Trey Lyles and Andrew Nembhard. Canada brings the most current NBA players (10) of any country outside the US to the Olympics.

Conversely, Team USA only returns two players from its World Cup team – Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton – while adding 10 NBA All-Stars headlined by four former league MVPs in LeBron James (4x), Steph Curry (2x), Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid.

• All-NBA First Team: Both teams tout one member of the 2023-24 All-NBA First Team – SGA for Canada and Jayson Tatum for the US – but Team USA holds a 9-1 edge among all three All-NBA Teams
• All-NBA Second & Third Teams: Team USA added four players from both the All-NBA Second Team (Anthony Davis, Durant, Edwards, Kawhi Leonard) and Third Team (Devin Booker, Curry, Haliburton, LeBron)
• Durant Out: KD – Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in the Olympics – has been ruled out due to calf soreness that has limited him during training camp in Las Vegas

Early Test: With NBA talent and a higher level of team continuity, Canada provides a strong test for Team USA as the Americans take the court for the first time as a unit this summer.

2. USAB ALL-ACCESS: FINAL DAY OF TRAINING CAMP

USAB Training Camp concluded Tuesday, and after four days of intrasquad work, the Stars and Stripes are eager to take the floor as a team tonight, they said.

• 🗣️ Steph Curry: “Playing with some amazing talent like this is something you can’t take for granted, so I’m ready to get started.”
• 🗣️ Bam Adebayo: “We got a lot of great talent out here. You got dudes that (are) gonna be Hall of Famers – certified Hall of Famers already. So, it’s gonna be intense.”
• 🗣️ Anthony Edwards: “I’m playing with Hall of Famers: Curry, KD, LeBron, Embiid – I’m just happy to be here.”
• 🗣️ Devin Booker: “I’m just inspired by a lot of these guys.”

Get a courtside view of Day 4’s practice using our all-access pass as Team USA dials in for a clash against Canada.

• Team USA Brotherhood: Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade link up with their former Olympic – and NBA – teammate, LeBron James
• King Jams: LeBron shows off the bounce at 39 years old
• Microwave: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra helps Steph, LeBron and Kawhi heat up
• VP In The House: Vice President Kamala Harris makes a guest appearance and delivers a simple message
• Ready To Represent: A first look at Team USA donning the Red, White and Blue

Select Team member Cooper Flagg won’t be in uniform tonight, but he still made his mark in Las Vegas.

At just 17 years old, the incoming Duke freshman stood out in training camp while competing against some of the NBA’s best.

• 🗣️ Jaime Jaquez Jr.: “Coop was playing out of his mind.”
• 🗣️ Devin Booker: “He wants it. You see how bad he wants it.”
• 🗣️ Select Team & Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley: “He’s a special young man …  His talent level, his basketball IQ, his level of toughness, not afraid of those moments, protect the rim, make the right play, make the right read. He had all that.”
• 🗣️ Flagg: “At first, you walk into this gym, see all these players and yeah, it’s like, ‘wow’. But then the ball goes up and it’s just basketball … I know who I am and what I can do.”

3. SALT LAKE CITY DAY 2: GRIZZLIES WIN AT THE BUZZER

Grizzlies 87, 76ers 85: One day after falling to the Jazz in overtime, the Grizzlies claimed a thriller on the back of their 39th overall pick, Jaylen Wells, who poured in 27 points and sank a game-winning floater at the buzzer to edge out the Sixers. | Recap | Highlights

• Memphis Second-Rounders Shine: Wells (27 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 3-7 3pt) scored a game-high – including this and-1 circus shot – while the 53rd overall pick and former UConn standout Cam Spencer (18 pts, 8 ast, 7 reb, 3-7 3pt) also stuffed the stat sheet
• Notable Sixers: Jeff Dowtin Jr. posted a team-high 18 points and 6 assists for Philly, while their 16th overall pick, Jared McCain, added 12 points, 4 assists and 3 boards
• Team Records: The Grizzlies improve their record to 1-1 with the win, while the 76ers fall to 1-1

Thunder 98, Jazz 75: Dillon Jones (21 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 3-3 3pt) and Ousmane Dieng (20 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 4-6 3pt) combined for 41 points as the first-round picks in 2024 and 2022, respectively, led the Thunder to their first win of the summer. | Recap | All-Access

• Jazz Standouts: Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Brice Sensabaugh scored 18 points apiece to lead Utah
• Rookie Moments: Utah’s Kyle Filipowski scored his first points of the summer on an alley-oop slam, while Cody Williams hit the double crossover to get to the hoop
• Team Records: OKC got its first win of the SLC Summer League, while Utah took its first loss, making all four teams in the round-robin competition 1-1

Wednesday: The SLC Summer League concludes with two games before all four teams head to Vegas to participate in the NBA 2K25 Summer League, which opens on Friday.

• Grizzlies vs. Thunder (7 ET, NBA TV)
• 76ers vs. Jazz (9 ET, ESPN2)

4. CALIFORNIA CLASSIC DAY 3: SPURS, HORNETS GET WINS

Spurs 89, China 67: San Antonio’s fourth overall pick Stephon Castle (18 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) and 48th overall pick Harrison Ingram (16 pts, 10 reb) helped the Spurs pull away from China in the second half for their first win in California. | Recap | Highlights | Summer Standouts Day 4

• Spurs Ball: In addition to Castle and Ingram, Jamaree Bouyea (14 pts, 5 ast) and Nathan Mensah (9 pts, 6 reb, 3 blk) also impressed, and the Spurs finished with 13 different scorers
• China’s Charge: Sanning Liao led China with 17 points and six rebounds
• Team Records: With the win, the Spurs leave Cali with a 1-2 record, while China finishes at 0-3

Hornets 86, Kings 1 82: Charlotte completed the California Classic unbeaten as they defeated the host Kings, 86-82, behind a combined 46 points from Bryce McGowens (29 pts, 5 reb) and Zavier Simpson (17 pts, 4 reb, and 3 ast). | Recap | Best of Cali Classic Day 3

• Notable Kings: Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. led Kings with 19 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast and 2 blk as Xavier Sneed added 15 pts and 9 boards
• Team Records: The Hornets completed the Classic 3-0, while Kings 1 suffered their first loss to fall to 2-1

Wednesday: The California Classic closes in San Francisco, capped off by the Battle of NorCal between the Warriors and Kings.

• Heat vs. Lakers (7 ET, ESPN2)
• Kings 2 vs. Warriors (10 ET, NBA TV)

5. SAME FACES, NEW PLACES + NEWS & NOTES

On Tuesday, introductory press conferences around the league welcomed some familiar names to new teams, headlined by four stars.

Mikal Bridges, DeMar DeRozan, Chris Paul and Klay Thompson – the newest acquisitions of the Knicks, Kings, Spurs and Mavs, respectively – were all smiles yesterday as they formally joined their new squads.

• 🗣️ Bridges On Joining NY: “I’m excited to be a Knick … it is surreal – going to be a lot of fun playing in front of the crowd at MSG.”
• 🗣️ DeRozan On Joining Sacramento: “It’s an honor to be able to represent this organization and build on what this organization has been doing for the last couple of years.”
• 🗣️ Klay On Joining Dallas: “Not many guys get a chance to win a championship, or championships, at the end of their career … I think we’re set up for a great run”
• 🗣️ Paul On Joining San Antonio: “I’m excited to share with these guys what I know, whatever they want to know. But I’m also excited to learn from them.”

More off-the-court news broke Tuesday, as reports emerged that Cade Cunningham agreed to a five-year maximum rookie extension with Detroit.

On the court, the NBA’s Summer Leagues aren’t the only events showcasing young talent, as some of the best high school hoopers NYC has to offer balled out Tuesday in Nike’s NY vs. NY circuit.

• Brunson In The Building: Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson watches the next generation of New York hoopers at Lincoln Park
• Steal & Slam: Josh Powell gets the takeaway and elevates for a tomahawk jam
• Cool In The Clutch: Jojo Davis knocks down a late jumper to help force OT
• No Look Oop? Was this a dime or a missed shot?

The fifth edition of the NBA Academy Games – featuring four teams of top prospects from the league’s academies in Australia, Mexico and Senegal plus four more teams from the United States – commences today in Atlanta.

• 2023 Highlights: Learn more about the NBA Academy Games by checking out the 2023 tournament recap
• Full Schedule: See the full four-day schedule of all eight teams, capped by the championship on July 14 at 12:30 ET