The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BOTH Bahamian participants concluded their respective runs in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League and while Kai Jones prepares for the preseason, Travis Munnings hopes to have made an impact on an organisation for the next step in his pro career.

In the Charlotte Hornets’ Summer League finale, Jones finished just shy of his second double double in the five-game run with a team high 16 points and nine rebounds in a 99-74 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

The Hornets finished Summer League 0-5, but Jones averaged 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game.

In his debut, Jones finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot in his team’s 93-86 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He also added nine points and a team high 16 rebounds in the Hornets’ 80-79 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The Hornets will be back in action on Monday, October 4 for its preseason opener on the road in Oklahoma City against the Thunder.

Munnings closed out his Summer League run with the Golden State Warriors with 2 points in his team’s 84-76 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his best performance in Las Vegas, Munnings scored eight points on 2-3 shooting from beyond the arc in an 80-79 overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

“All glory to God. It’s only by his grace and mercy, never take anything for granted. The only one that can stop you is you. If you give up on your dreams, if you live bitter with no passion, thinking you’ve reached your limits, then you’ll get stuck where you are,” Munnings posted to social media.

“You won’t see the beauty for ashes, you won’t see God pay you back for the unfair things. Don’t give up on your dream keep believing, keep putting God first and everything will work out.”

Munnings was recently featured by FIBA for his contribution to Bahamian basketball and his progression to the NBA Summer League.

He recently led The Bahamas to a FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Pre-Qualifiers performance and finished second after missing out on a spot in the AmeriCup qualifiers in February. He led The Bahamas in scoring in both tournaments as well as led the team in rebounds during the World Cup Americas Pre-Qualifiers.

“I can play with the best in the world,” he told FIBA. “It’s a great opportunity and I love it and I’m just taking advantage of each and every moment.”

Munnings had previous affiliations with NBA franchises coming out of Louisiana-Monroe but opted to pursue opportunities in Europe instead.

Prior to the 2019 NBA Draft, he was invited to pre-draft workouts with the Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves before eventually going undrafted.