He's stayed close to Ol' Wazzu and is an advocate for Cougar hoops
Albert Hall with former WSU athletes Mouhamed Gueye (left, Atlanta Hawks), Brennan Jackson (Las Vegas Raiders) and Devin Richardson. (Photos: Hall)
WHEN IT COMES TO COUGS and the NBA, one of the biggest names in the history of the league is one you likely haven't heard. Albert Hall, WSU class of 1991, has never dished an assist, snagged a rebound or hoisted a trey.
But the former Bellarmine Prep wrestler has shaped the NBA in major ways over the last two decades.
He's the co-founder of the Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which has grown from six teams and no more than 600 fans in the stands in 2004 to one of the most important dates on the NBA calendar.
Not only do all 30 NBA teams now participate, but the broader value of the multi-faceted, 11-day event means every owner, president, general manager, coaching staff and support staff is there for all or parts of it. The contingent from each team numbers around 80. Pro teams across the world also send scouts.
The reach is immense. Hall counts the ways:
ESPN and Amazon broadcasting all 76 games across the globe
150,000 fans in the stands
$275 million in economic impact on the city and county
billions of social media impressions
NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters last week the Summer League effectively is the NBA's 31st franchise. He saluted Hall and co-cofounder Warren LeGarie for "just an amazing accomplishment."
"The reality is we didn't intend for this to be a gigantic event that's morphed into ancillary pieces," Hall tells Cougfan.com "Its become a staple and part of the fabric of the league, and young players in the league look forward coming back every year. We joke that we're the Burning Man of basketball."
The games are just a slice of the Summer League scene. Workshops are offered on sports medicine, technology and business. There's a film festival. Parties abound. And of course, the networking, conversations and evaluations shape trades, staffs and playing time.
"We also implement ideas to see if they work, to test them for consideration by the NBA's competition committee," he notes.
This summer, they're experimenting with the "one free-throw rule" to speed up games. The ideas is that a player who is fouled while taking a three-point shot would be allowed one free throw worth three points rather than the three separate shots worth one each.
Hall eschews any suggestion he's a power player on the NBA scene. "This is all a team effort. We have so many great people bringing this all together. I'm fortunate to be part of it. The reality is that I was in the right place at the right time with pretty good creative skills and some business savvy."
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, HALL has pulled his alma mater into the mix to help support WSU basketball coach David Riley's NIL/revenue sharing efforts. For $2,500, Cougar fans can join Riley and his staff in Las Vegas for three-days of wining, dinning, schmoozing and hoops watching. Rave reviews flowed in recent days on the Cougfan.com Luxury Suites forum from those who attended Hall's VIP experience this past week.
Last December, when the men's team was in Southern California for a game, Hall hosted a "Christmas with the Cougs" fundraiser for the Cougar Athletic Fund, bringing alums and the team together for dinner and games at the Captain's Club in Newport, where Hall lives.
"I love Wazzu," Hall says when asked about his ongoing support. "It has a unique quality that, if you embrace it, will help your growth as a human being. The landscape, the diversity, the relationships. For me, WSU was amazing and continues to be."
He said he gets to Pullman every fall for a football game and some fly fishing and also has plans for a Delta Upsilon reunion at San Diego State on Halloween when the Cougs visit the Aztecs.
One of his goals as an alum is to help reconnect former Cougar athletes in Southern California with WSU.
"We have so many Cougs in this area from across various sports," he says. "I sometimes think they're forgotten because they're not in the Northwest. But the numbers are big. We need to keep the LA Cougs engaged. Talk about great marketing potential. I see Nick Begg, Ron Stone, Brennan Jackson, Renard Bell, River Cracraft, so many. WSU needs to keep them close."
In addition to getting more grads and former athletes engaged across the West, Hall also is passionate about improving the look, vibe, and energy around Beasley Coliseum. "It's a building with great bones, but needs a facelift. We need to create FOMO for the students and bring life to the building for Coach Riley and the squad!"
NOTABLE NOTES:
More than 600 of the interns who've come through the NBA Summer League offices over the years are now working at various levels throughout professional sports and major media, Hall notes with pride. The list includes Buddy Scott, director of salary cap and strategy for the Boston Celtics, and Amber Nichols, general manager of the Washington Wizards' G-League franchise.
No referee is allowed to step onto an NBA court unless they've come up through the Summer League.
Old Coug Cedric Coward, who just finished a spectacular rookie season in Memphis, is having a huge Summer League so far and is in the running for MVP honors as his club heads to the final four.
Hall says another old Coug, Issac Jones, did himself proud playing for Detroit's Summer League team. "He's going to find a role in this league. He plays hard, with a joy about him. He's a throwback dude who just needs the right spot to plug and play for 15-18 minutes a game. He reminds me of (former longtime NBA forward) James Posey."
Jaylen Wells, Coward's teammate in Memphis and Jones' battery mate in leading the Cougars to March Madness in 2024, was on hand for the Summer League but not as a player. He was there participating in the guest photography program.
The File on Albert Hall:
Married with a daughter who is headed to Baylor this fall
Hometown: Tacoma, graduating from Bellarmine Prep in 1987
WSU: Majored in communication, graduating from Murrow in 1991
First job out of college: Blackjack dealer in Las Vegas
First job in sports: Writing up game notes as part of the Seattle Sonics' PR team in 1993
Big break: Overseeing the front desk at the Sonics' practice facility on Lower Queen Anne, thereby getting to know every coach, player, agent and media member on a first-name basis
How he landed in Southern California: Joined UC Irvine athletics for one year, ostensibly to build a new baseball stadium
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