Former VT ACC Champion Keve Aluma Makes a Name For Himself In NBA Summer League

Has Keve Aluma secured himself an NBA two-way contract after his great summer league performance thus far?

Mar 11, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Keve Aluma (22) shoots a three point shot against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brady Manek (45) during the second half of an ACC Tournament semifinal game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Keve Aluma's recent basketball career has been a wild ride. From averaging 2.5 ppg his freshman season at Wofford to now competing for a roster spot in the NBA, Aluma has quite the story.

Aluma, the 2021-2022 ACC Tournament Champion, was one of the main pieces on the Virginia Tech team that made a Cinderella run to their first conference tournament win. But despite putting up 16 ppg and 6.5 RPG, Aluma’s great numbers in his final college season were not enough to give him a chance at the NBA quite yet.

With the NBA not being an option out of college for Aluma, he decided to take his career overseas, starting with Niigata Albirex BB in the Japan B1 League, and a year later, he joined Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League. Despite the new scenery, Aluma continued his consistent play, averaging just about 14 points and 7 rebounds for both his squads, hoping to get another opportunity to play in the NBA.

Well, on July 3rd, exactly that happened when Aluma was announced on the official summer league roster for the 76ers, joining so many other notable athletes attempting to get their chance to nab a spot on an NBA roster. 

To kick off his summer league campaign in Utah, Aluma came off the bench for the 76ers and, in 16 minutes, tallied 12 points and eight rebounds on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. The next night, he doubled down on his previous performance, dropping 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in just 17 minutes, as he led the bench in scoring on back-to-back nights.

After his impressive performance in Utah, the 76ers and Aluma were set to play in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League alongside numerous other teams. With a couple of nights off and a newfound confidence, Aluma once again lit up the boxscore with his production yesterday.

Just when you thought he couldn’t get much better than he has, Aluma came out hot and, in just 22 minutes, had a career game of 19 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-10 shooting. Not to mention, he practically won the game for his team in the latter half of the fourth quarter. 

Keve Aluma has certainly made his mark and created a great opportunity for himself, and with just three more games left in the summer league, he may have the chance to secure himself a coveted roster spot in the NBA.