LAS VEGAS — Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson scored 35 points in his summer league debut Friday night, the second most in a Las Vegas debut since the event began in 2004.
It was Wilson’s first competitive game since Feb. 10, after his lone college season at North Carolina ended in February with a broken wrist, and he said he cried before the game because he was so emotional to be back on the court.
“It’s been five months to the day since the last time I played,” Wilson said after Friday’s 97-96 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. “I’ve just been really emotional because I haven’t been able to play.
“I felt terrible because my team lost in the [NCAA] tournament and my coach got fired. It just was a lot for me at that point. So, coming out today, it just felt like I’ve been waiting so long for this opportunity. I’m just glad I got to come out here and play.”
Wilson showcased his wide range of skills during Friday’s game. He knocked down seven 3-pointers, matching the total number of made 3s from his 24-game college career.
“I’ve been working on it hard for a long time,” Wilson said. “I’m not shocked at all. I’ve been putting the work in.”
Wilson also blocked three shots, collected two steals and grabbed six rebounds.
At times, he was a little erratic, committing six turnovers, but Bulls coach Tiago Splitter said he was happy to see such an aggressive start in Wilson’s first game.
“We’re getting to know him,” Splitter said after the game. “The first game, of course, he played extremely well shooting the ball and doing different things, but this is a long road. Repetition of everything. But I’m proud of the effort they put in. Boxing out, crashing every offense rebound.”
When a reporter told Wilson after the game that his 35-point performance was one of the best in summer league history, he didn’t flinch. His 35 points were second only to the 37 Marco Belinelli posted in 2007, according to ESPN Research.
“We lost,” Wilson said, chiding himself for too many turnovers and some missed boxouts.
Wilson’s first game also featured a matchup with another top player from this year’s draft class, Memphis forward Cam Boozer, who finished with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists.
“He’s a great player,” Wilson said of Boozer. “One of the few guys I respect out of my class. He played a great game and he won. He did a great job. We have fun with each other on the court. We talk and stuff like that, but he’s a great player. I mean, I saw him make some tough shots today.”
Boozer was complimentary of Wilson as well and said he was not surprised to see Wilson’s breakout performance Friday.
“He’s a great player. Great players make a lot of shots,” Boozer said. “It was something maybe he didn’t showcase a lot in college, but he’s a great player and he started getting hot.”
