Since hearing his name called by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2025 NBA Draft, former WVU basketball point guard Javon Small has been itching for the chance to show he's ready to play at the NBA level. On Sunday night, he seized such an opportunity.
During one of the consolation matchups in the NBA Summer League on Sunday night, Javon Small was called upon for some significant game action as the Grizzlies faced off against the Los Angeles Clippers. Small became one of the standout performers for Memphis in what would end up becoming a 105-82 win over their opponent. Small was the second-leading scorer for the Grizzlies in the game, dropping 17 points in the win -- he also nearly tallied his first double-double at the professional level, chipping in nine assists to lead the team. He also added four rebounds to his final stat line.
Javon Small : 17 points (5-9 shooting, 3-5 from 3 & 4-4 from the FT line), 4 rebounds, 9 assists & only turnover in 22 minutes off the bench pic.twitter.com/RuEUaKfV6d
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) July 21, 2025
The performance came in Small's first significant summer league action since an earlier matchup in July, where he managed to chip in six assists and four points in a 92-80 win against defending NBA Champions Oklahoma City. The two performances mark just two out of several instances this summer where the former West Virginia Mountaineer standout has turned heads while trying to secure his spot in the NBA, as he also impressed in shooting drills and 5-on-5 action at the NBA Combine in May.
Small's abilities come as no surprise to who followed his career for WVU basketball -- he joined a depleted roster for the Mountaineers under first-year head coach Darian DeVries and helped lead West Virginia to a 19-13 record and the brink of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 18.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. He earned All-Big 12 and All-American honors for his sole season at WVU.