Maxime Raynaud and the Sacramento Kings bowed (83-78) Sunday in Las Vegas in the final of Summer League against the Charlotte Hornets of Tidjane Salaün, absent on injury. The French pivot, holder, scored 9 points and taken 7 rebounds.
The final of the Summer League of Las Vegas, this NBA summer tournament allowing players, young or not, and for many without contract, to be noticed by franchises of the prestigious North American League at the dawn of the new season, opposed two French players on Sunday evening: Maxime Raynaud and Tidjane Salaün. The first was on the prosecution of the “city of the sin”, not the second, on the other hand.
The champion’s ring, since the winner of this competition, just like the NBA champion, is not only entitled to the winner’s trophy, finally returned to the little brother of Janelle Salaün, unhappy with the Bleues during the Euro (fourth place on arrival) despite a very good tournament from him on a personal level. It was indeed Charlotte who won Sunday (83-78) against the Sacramento Kings of Raynaud.
Raynaud was not enough
If the final score may seem tight and could let guess a high struggle set between the two teams, the Hornets, who present the particularity of having ever tasted the title in the NBA throughout their history, have in reality dominated the debates from the start to the end of this final which had started on a first flown-in-law (34-18) by the teammates of the former Cholet player reason for tendinopathy with a right Achilles tendon. His compatriot was of course on the ground.
The ex-nanterre pivot drafted in 42nd position by the Kings was even part of the five major of his team. Despite a very good match (9 points to 4 out of 11 shots, 7 rebounds, 2 counters, 1 interception), Raynaud, any more than his teammate Isaac Jones, yet the author of a sumptuous double-double (24 points, 11 rebounds), was not enough to avoid this defeat in the final. And it is therefore Salaün, without playing, which inscribes his name in the charts.