Longhorns Country

Two Texas Longhorns Join Bronny James, Lakers at NBA Summer League

A pair of former Texas Longhorns are currently teammates with Bronny James on the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA Summer League.
Zach Dimmitt|
Oct 4, 2024; Palm Desert, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Oct 4, 2024; Palm Desert, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

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Texas LonghornsLos Angeles Lakers

AUSTIN -- Two former Texas Longhorns are looking to make the most of their NBA Summer League opportunity with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.

Sir'Jabari Rice and Arthur Kaluma are both members of the Lakers' Summer League roster as the team competes in both San Francisco and Las Vegas. As a result, they have teamed up with second-year guard Bronny James, who will continue to have a spotlight on him as the son of one of the greatest athletes of all time.

However, this spotlight could be a blessing for Kaluma and Rice as they look to secure their spot on the roster in L.A. or elsewhere, potentially catching the eye of another team. The two former Longhorns made their 2025 Summer League debut at the California Classic in San Francisco over the weekend, with Sunday's contest garnering the most attention.

Sir'Jabari Rice, Bronny James Shine in Win vs. Miami Heat

Rice and James both had productive games in Sunday's dominant 103-83 win over the Heat at Chase Center. Rice had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in 5 of 7 shooting in 21 minutes off the bench. He helped spell James, who had 10 points and two rebounds in just 11 minutes of game time.

As for Kaluma, he had a solid game in limited action, finishing with five points and two rebounds in 11 minutes. He also had a plus/minus of +15, third on the team while trailing Rice, who finished at +16 for second-best on the night.

The Lakers will begin action at the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kaluma and Rice Faced Off During the 2022-23 Season

Kaluma and Rice were both Longhorns for just one season. Though they never played together at Texas, the two faced off on the floor at Moody Center during the 2022-23 season when Rice and the No. 2 Longhorns hosted Kaluma's No. 7 Creighton Bluejays.

The Top-10 non-conference matchup lived up the hype with Texas coming out on top in a 72-67 finish.

Kaluma told Texas Longhorns on SI prior to the start of last season that he remembers that game well. He finished the contest with 13 points and three rebounds in 34 minutes.

"I remember the refs wasn't messing with us that game I think," Kaluma said jokingly with a smile "I mean, the Moody Center is an amazing place to play. Everybody loves playing there and everybody looks forward to playing Texas. So that's a really big game on everybody's schedule. And I just remember being super excited to be here."

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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