Fan dismayed Summer League players might win prize of real material value

Following reports of championship rings at this year's NBA Summer League, long-time NBA fan Mark Pressey expressed his disappointment that athletes who had spent years honing their craft but would fall just short of an NBA roster might still receive something of economic worth. “It just reeks of our participation trophy culture”, he sighed - referring to the fact that players participating in the championship game on the side of the winning team would receive the rings. “Back in my day, we didn’t have a Summer League at all, and now anyone at all in the top 0.0001% of basketball players in the world can just waltz in and be given something that cost more than $20 to make? It’s pathetic.” As the players in front of him effortlessly flowed through intricate manoeuvres before the upcoming game, he asserted that “a nice commemorative t-shirt would be about right; it’s something you can show your kids, but doesn’t lead you to believe you’ve done anything genuinely worthwhile. After all, if we start giving out flashy awards to anyone who grinds for years in the hope of playing the sport they love at the highest level, what message are we sending our children?”