Three ex-Tigers headed to NBA summer leagues

• Advocate news services
• Published: Jun 27, 2009 - Page: 3C

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

The Houston Rockets kept in close contact with LSU guard Garrett Temple and immediately after the draft offered him on spot on their summer league team that will compete in Las Vegas, July 10-19, at the Thomas and Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion.

A total of 21 NBA teams will be taking part in the event, which features 55 games involving the NBA’s top young talent.

“They really kept calling me, even during the draft, making sure I would still be available for them if I wasn’t drafted,” Temple said Friday. “A couple of other teams also made contact with me, but Houston had the best offer.”

Temple will be heading to Houston in early July for a four-day mini-camp before moving to Las Vegas, where the Houston team will be playing one of the first games of the event.

“I’m excited and really looking forward to the opportunity,” said Temple.

Guard Terry Martin, from Monroe, will also be heading to Las Vegas as he has been invited to join the New Orleans Hornets summer league squad. Martin will rejoin second-round draft pick Marcus Thornton, who was selected Thursday night by Miami with the 43rd pick. But 15 minutes later, his draft rights were traded to the Hornets for two future second-round selections.

Center Chris Johnson will also be going to summer league play, but will be going to the Orlando summer league season as part of a combination New Jersey Nets/Philadelphia 76ers squad. Those games are scheduled for July 5-10 in Orlando.