Kamaka Hepa will play for the New Orleans Pelicans in Las Vegas (via U. Of Hawai’i)
Former Hawai’i MBB Captain Kamaka Hepa Set for Pelicans Debut in Las Vegas
BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JULY 3, 2023
HONOLULU — The “Ninth Island” will play host to one of the beloved ‘Bows from this past rendition of Hawai’i men’s basketball as the 2023 NBA Summer League gets set to go.
Kamaka Hepa, the six-foot-ten stretch forward and former four-star recruit who committed to Texas out of high school before transferring to UH for his final two seasons, gets his first shot at professional basketball in Las Vegas from July 7-17 as he suits up for the New Orleans Pelicans summer league team. He will wear number 43 for the Pelicans.
Joining the former Big West star for the Summer Pelicans is 2023 first round selection Jordan Hawkins from national champion UCONN, 2022 NBA Draft 8th overall pick and six-foot-eight guard Dyson Daniels and others.
NOLA will play a guaranteed five games while in Vegas, with the first on Friday, July 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The entire schedule can be found below.
|
Opponent |
Date |
Time |
|
@ MIN Timberwolves |
7/7/23 |
10:30 AM HT NBA TV |
|
@ GS Warriors |
7/9/23 |
4:00 PM HT ESPN2 |
|
Vs PHX Suns |
7/11/23 |
2:00 PM HT ESPN2 |
|
Vs CHA Hornets |
7/13/23 |
1:30 PM HT NBA TV |
|
TBD – Based on Results |
7/15-16/23 |
TBD |
Hepa averaged 11.5 PPG and 6.6 RPG in his final season for the Rainbow Warriors, showing a reliable stroke from downtown (39% 3PT FG) especially for a big man. He knocked down a team-leading 67 three-pointers in his final season for the ‘Bows.
The All-Big West honorable mention was a two-time captain for Hawai’i and has been applauded for his leadership and the growth in his game by UH head coach Eran Ganot over the past two seasons.
Hepa conducted pre-draft workouts with the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors before going undrafted. The forward has been described as a “late-bloomer” by Ganot and now continues getting a chance to develop for an NBA team.
All games will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS or NBA TV and can be found streaming via the ESPN and NBA apps. New Orleans will broadcast all their summer league games on Pelicans.com and the Pelicans app.
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