ATLANTA — The NBA Summer League has already started out in Las Vegas. However, Grand Rapids Christian High School alum Kobe Bufkin makes his Hawks debut on Friday night.
The Michigan man lived his dream after Atlanta selected him with the 15th overall pick in the NBA draft a few weeks back.
However, that time for celebration is now over as Bufkin has spent much of his time since watching film and grinding in the gym.
His goal for his first time in a Hawks uniform out west is simple.
"Oh, to go win," Bufkin said. "To win, of course. Obviously, smaller goals are to find the flow of the game and be able to apply it when we get to the preseason and the regular season. It's been going well. Coach Juwan prepared me well. Some of the terminology is the same. The concepts are the same. The transition has been smoother than expected for sure. Looking forward to going to Vegas and competing with them."
We've seen Bufkin shine at the high school level at Grand Rapids Christian and at the University of Michigan.
The 19-year-old wants to showcase his defensive versatility and get in a rhythm offensively in his first taste of the NBA lifestyle.
The Grand Rapids native has definitely gotten some help along the way as he transitions to the highest level of basketball.
"The coaching staff is constantly giving me tips and pointers telling me little things I could be doing better," Bufkin said. "Just trying to soak that information up and apply it. You can feel the spacing in some situations but obviously, the people are bigger on this level so they cover a little bit more space. That's why it's a bigger court. You can definitely tell the difference in some situations."
Bufkin will also look to make a difference in his first summer League game. That will be Friday night at 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV against the Sacramento Kings.
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