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Some of the brightest basketball prospects set to take the stage at SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 8
Aug 17 2026 15:19 · By Ali Jawad, for NBA.com · 24 Reads
The SLAM Summer Classic has featured some of the nation’s best high school talent over the years.
The future of basketball will be on full display once again in the Big Apple as the SLAM
Summer Classic Vol. 8 takes the court on Monday, Aug. 17.
The SLAM Summer Classic brings some of the nation’s top boys and girls high school basketball prospects to compete at New York City’s iconic Rucker Park, celebrating the city’s rich basketball culture through showcase games.
The girls game tips off at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the boys game at 7:45 p.m. ET and will be
streamed on NBA.com and the NBA Mobile App.
SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 8 loading… meet the hoopers 🏀
Watch live on
@NBATV
beginning tomorrow at 6pm/et!
pic.twitter.com/oHxevv3AEu
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow)
August 16, 2026
Top prospects on the men’s side include
ESPN’s No. 1 ranked player of 2027
, Beckham Black, who recently starred in the
2026 Nike EYBL Peach Jam
in July, New York’s No. 1-ranked player Moussa Kamissoko, five-star recruits Paul Osaruyi and King Gibson and Duke commit Kager Knueppel, the brother of one of the top rookies from the 2025-2026 NBA season, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.
Notable players on the women’s side include Tatianna Griffin, the top-ranked high school
junior, and the No. 1 ranked girls player in ESPN’s 2028 class, Ryan Carter, who returns to the event for a second time and University of Texas commit Jayla Forbes.
Over the years, the event has featured several notable participants who are now young rising stars at both the collegiate and pro levels.
Past participants from recent classics now making an impact on NBA rosters include Cooper Flagg, Jared McCain, Matas Buzelis, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper and, most recently, the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa.
From hitting the 2023 SLAM Summer Classic game-winner, to being the named
@Kia
NBA Rookie of the Year…
@Cooper_Flagg
's journey to the NBA (a thread):
pic.twitter.com/IRUI14ZXbg
April 28, 2026
Additionally, some of the top current women’s college basketball players have participated in the showcase, including USC standout JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo, both of whom were part of the event in 2022.