Damien Jefferson To Join Sacramento Kings Summer League Teams

Jefferson Bio (PDF)

OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton standout Damien Jefferson will play for the Sacramento Kings in a pair of upcoming NBA Summer Leagues next month.

The former Bluejay forward could make his professional debut on Aug. 3-4 as part of the 3rd Annual California Classic, a two-day summer basketball showcase featuring teams from the Kings, Warriors, Lakers and Heat organizations. Those games will take place at Golden 1 Center, the home of the Sacramento Kings.

A few days later the 16th MGM Resorts NBA Summer League will feature all 30 NBA teams playing five games each in Las Vegas. After every team plays four games, the two teams with the best records from the first four games will meet in the Championship Game on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2021 will tip off on Sunday, Aug. 8 with eight games, All 75 games of the 10-day competition on the campus of UNLV will air live on ESPN networks or NBA TV and streamed on the ESPN app.

Jefferson spent the past four seasons in the Creighton program after transferring in from the University of New Mexico in the summer of 2017, developing into a Second Team All-BIG EAST performer as a senior with the Bluejays.

Jefferson was named to the Cayman Islands Classic All-Tournament Team just six games into his Bluejay career, only to have his promising sophomore season derailed by ankle surgery just weeks later.

He led Creighton's 2019-20 team with 5.5 rebounds per game while also contributing 9.4 points per game. His transition dunk in traffic in the opening minutes of a win vs. Seton Hall was a SportsCenter Top 10 play and helped set the tone as Creighton clinched its first BIG EAST regular-season title in program history.

Jefferson evolved into a vocal leader during his senior season and upped his scoring average to 11.9 points per contest while starting all 31 games. The East Chicago, Ind., product ranked among the BIG EAST's most versatile players and produced 15 points and five rebounds in a March 22 win vs. Ohio that advanced Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974.

Jefferson closed his college career with 967 career points, 506 rebounds and 168 assists and graduated from Creighton in May of 2021.

Coached by Greg McDermott, Creighton finished the 2020-21 season with a 22-9 record, placed second in the BIG EAST Conference, and reached the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974. Jefferson's teammate, guard Marcus Zegarowski, was selected with the 49th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft last night by the Brooklyn Nets. The duo looks to join five other Creighton alums who spent time in the NBA last season -- Ty-Shon Alexander, Doug McDermott, Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Anthony Tolliver.

Damien Jefferson To Join Sacramento Kings Summer League Teams

Players Mentioned

Damien Jefferson

Marcus Zegarowski

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