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Koby Brea and Amari Williams practically didn't miss in Summer League debuts

On3 imageby:Adam Stratton•07/12/25•

AdamStrattonKSR

koby-brea-and-amari-williams-practically-dont-miss-in-summer-league-debuts
Photo by Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

It was 108 degrees in Las Vegas on Friday, primarily because Koby Brea was there playing basketball. Fuego lived up to his nickname in his NBA Summer League debut, lighting up the nets with the word Suns across his chest.

Brea hit his first three shots from behind the arc, all in the first half, to go along with an impressive and-one finish for an old-fashioned three-point play.

Koby Brea did not stop there. The former Kentucky flamethrower also threw down a double-clutch slam on a back-door cut that looked like it was straight out of the Mark Pope offensive playbook. Ultimately, Fuego finished with a team-high 19 points on 7-10 shooting, including 4-5 from 3. He also chipped in three rebounds and a steal. It couldn’t have been a better professional basketball debut for one of the best shooters to ever play at Kentucky.

After the game, Brea said, “It was great, man. Just to be out there…living the dream. Finally playing on an NBA court with an NBA team.”

Great, it was.

Amari Williams did not miss from the field

Koby Brea wasn’t the only rookie out of Kentucky to put up a crazy efficient Summer League debut. The Boston Celtics’ second-round pick, Amari Williams, did not miss from the field, connecting on all three of his field goal attempts. He finished with nine points (he was one free-throw miss away from a flawless shooting night), three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

It wasn’t just about the stats, though. Williams showcased the same point-center skills we saw in Lexington, pulling off a couple of crazy passes and converting on a steal-fast-break-finish combo.

It was a quiet debut for Kentucky’s other rookies

While Koby Brea and Amari Williams demonstrated why they were worth a 2nd-round pick, Kentucky’s other three NBA rookies were much quieter. In his first competitive basketball game since re-injuring his wrist on February 26th against Oklahoma, Jaxson Robinson made his return to the court, this time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Thursday.

Either his wrist isn’t quite fully healed yet, the rust hasn’t been fully shaken off, or the NBA debut butterflies took flight. Robinson missed all three of his shots, all of which were from 3 during his 14 minutes on the floor. He’ll look to settle into a more Jaxson-like game on Saturday.

While you were sleeping on Friday, Andrew Carr played his first pro basketball game for the Portland Trail Blazers. He went 1-3 from the field in limited action, for two points, two rebounds, and a very nice assist off a fast break.

Finally, Lamont Butler was all set to play for the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, but he had to sit out due to an undisclosed injury. It is unclear if Butler’s shoulder is the culprit once again, but he will strive to play in the Hawks’ next game on Sunday.

Overall, it was a fun first game for Kentucky rookies with a handful more to go.

BBNBA Summer League Schedule for Saturday

TIME (ET)HOMEAWAYTV/STREAMING
3:30 PMCleveland Cavaliers (Jaxson Robinson)Milwaukee Bucks (Chris Livingston)NBATV, ESPN+
6:30 PMCharlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers (Justin Edwards)ESPN2, ESPN+
8:30 PMLos Angeles LakersNew Orleans Pelicans (Antonio Reeves, Keion Brooks)ESPN2, ESPN+
10:00 PMMinnesota Timberwolves (Rob Dillingham)Denver NuggetsNBATV, ESPN+
10:30 PMMemphis GrizzliesPortland Trail Blazers (Andrew Carr)ESPN2, ESPN+

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2025-07-16