Insider tips for navigating NBA Summer League without a media credential

On today’s episode of Fastbreak Breakfast, I describe how I lost $30 buying an invalid ticket from an unscrupulous scalper in Las Vegas at NBA Summer League. Denied a media pass, I knew I would be responsible for my own tickets, but I did not know the first two days of Summer League would sell out for the first time ever.

Thanks, Lonzo-mania.

So there I was, stuck on the outside and having to hit the [hellishly hot] pavement to buy one off the “secondary market.” And like I said, I got grifted out of $30 before finding my way inside. My lesson: don’t buy a scalped ticket from someone walking rapidly in the opposite direction.

Not every lesson I learned from Vegas was this difficult. Here are few more tips I’ve picked up over the last few years of attending Summer League:

FIND A FREE PROGRAM

Getting the program is very useful, because it contains a lot of information about a lot of unknown players. Most of the main basketball websites have very little roster information. The official NBA Summer League app is useless outside of the box scores — the “Summer League Players” tab is an alphabetical list of names with no information about what team they are on or links to player pages — so having a program is quite handy.

But you need not actually buy the program (which most recently cost $7). Just wait until the first Lakers game of Summer League is over, and hunt around for an abandoned one. There will be several to choose from.

GET THE WIFI PASSWORD

This is crucial. As i said before, Summer League information is scarce. You will find yourself on your phone trying to navigate the extremely helpful but not mobile-friendly RealGM Summer League page. You probably will be live-tweeting games. Trying to upload that sweet highlight clip you filmed over cellular can be draining on your battery and your patience. And doing so on a cell network in an arena with thousands of people is a hit or miss proposition.

Best tip for getting the wifi password: have an inside man in the media. Perhaps a Twitter friend sympathetic to your cause.

BUDDY UP WITH OTHERS

Find the other bloggers and podcasters without credentials. Band together. The general admission seating policy means having a buddy to hold your seat or watch your bag is a necessity.

NOTE: It’s recommended to do this with Lakers fans, because those games are packed and they will stake out good seats early and perhaps save you one. Uneasy alliances must be formed.

FOOD

The food at the gym is bad, without exception. (OK, Dippin’ Dots are the exception). But you can bring anything you want into the arena in a bag. My recommendation: hit up a massive breakfast/brunch, pack snacks or a burrito and power through until a very late dinner.

DRINKS

The benefits of not being credentialed are you can wear disrespectful T-shirts (like this) and drink alcohol if you choose. You are in the desert — stay hydrated — but if you are looking to tie one on, I recommend the fruit smoothie vendor. A smoothie with a generously poured double shot of liquor is $13, opposed to $18 from the concessions.

And finally:

BUY TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME

But you probably knew that already.

All Fastbreak Breakfast episodes are also available for download on iTunes and Soundcloud.

Original music provided by Codaphonic

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