WATCH: Kai Jones throws down ferocious slam dunk in NBA Summer League
Charlotte Hornets center Kai Jones is already making a name for himself at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. With just seconds remaining in the first quarter of a game against Cleveland, Jones broke free on a fast break and finished on the other end with a ferocious slam dunk.
The slam put Charlotte up 19-18 to end the first quarter. At halftime, the Hornets were still clinging to a 46-44 lead and Jones had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, two rebounds and two blocks.
Jones spent two seasons in college with the Texas Longhorns before being selected 19th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. He appeared in just 21 NBA games this past season as a reserve averaging just three minutes per contest. Jones also played 24 games for the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G-League affiliate. There he averaged an impressive 18.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks across 31.6 minutes per game.
Coming out of high school, the 6-foot-10 big man ranked as the No. 53 overall player and No. 10 center in the 2019 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He went on to average 6.2 points, four rebounds and a block over the next two seasons in Austin before declaring for the draft.
So far in the summer league this year, Kai Jones has appeared in two games while averaging 7.5 points and seven boards. The Hornets split their first two games in Vegas but are looking to improve to 2-1 with a victory against the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
As the summer league carries on, Jones will look to prove to Charlotte coaches that he deserves a bigger role with the team in 2022-23. Considering Miles Bridges and Montrezl Harrell are both free agents now, the team could be looking for another big man to step in soon.