‘Resilient’ Christopher, Heat win NBA Summer League title — PHOTOS
Josh Christopher’s NBA journey hasn’t gone as planned.
The 2021 first-round pick hoped to contribute in the league early on. Instead, he’s been part of three different organizations and spent time in the G League.
Christopher felt it was all worth it for at least one night.
The guard scored a team-high 24 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Summer League championship game Monday at Thomas &Mack Center. Guard Pelle Larsson hit the winning shot in overtime to give the Heat their first NBA Summer League title.
Christopher was named MVP of the championship game after shooting 9-for-17 from the floor and 6-for-10 from 3-point range.
“We had the best team in Summer League because of the individuals that were on the floor,” Christopher said. “What can stop a team from succeeding when you have those individuals is when they don’t collaborate. Thankfully, some of us had already played together and it was just a matter of fitting the puzzle pieces.”
Christopher had the same aspirations many first-round picks have.
The 24th overall selection out of Arizona State hoped to lead the Houston Rockets back to contention. The Rockets decided to move him to the Memphis Grizzlies in June 2023 instead as part of the trade that brought forward Dillon Brooks to Houston.
The Grizzlies waived Christopher in September. He was claimed by the Utah Jazz and joined their G League affiliate in Salt Lake City before being waived again in January. Miami was the next team to pick him up. All those transactions forced him to learn resilience early in his career.
“Keeping a strong (mindset) through it all, understanding it’s a journey,” Christopher said. “You can’t be given everything. Some things I had to take, but just being able to embrace the journey.”
Christopher led a balanced Heat offense in NBA Summer League, scoring 19.3 points per game throughout the event while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor and 52.5 percent from beyond the arc.
He was one of five Miami players that scored at least 10 points Monday. Center Kel’el Ware, the 15th pick in June’s draft, had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Alondes Williams added 21 points and six assists. Forward Cole Swider scored 19 points, while Larsson had 16 as well as the winning basket.
The Heat and Grizzlies entered overtime tied at 113. The target score was 120, meaning whichever team got there first would be crowned champion.
Christopher hit a 3-pointer to give Miami a 118-115 lead, but forward Jake LaRavia answered for Memphis with a 3 of his own on the ensuing possession.
Larsson, the Heat’s second-round pick this year, then drove to the basket and hit a runner to give the Heat the title.
“The coaches drew a great play in the timeout and (gave) me options to playmake,” Larsson said.
LaRavia scored a game-high 32 points for the Grizzlies, while guard Scotty Pippen Jr. had 29 points and 11 assists. Forward GG Jackson II finished with 28 points and nine rebounds.
Pippen Jr. and Jackson were named to the All-Summer League first team on Monday, as was Ware.
“There were some crazy moments,” Heat coach Dan Bisaccio said. “Memphis is a great team. They were prepped. We could’ve easily folded. That collective grit and toughness … I think that led to a lot of success.”
Bisaccio was named the coach of Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, on July 16. That means there’s a chance he could see Christopher more often.
Another stop in the G League wouldn’t deter Christopher, whose older brother Patrick played in Paris and Turkey before getting an opportunity to play for the Utah Jazz.
His brother’s determination is one thing that will fuel Christopher when he heads to the Heat’s training camp this fall. That, and a NBA Summer League championship.
“Who am I to complain about the grind when my brother went through the same thing?” Christopher said. “I’ve faced trials and tribulations. What am I going to do, quit? I wasn’t raised like that.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
