Keith Wright '12 Joins Dallas Mavericks Summer League Team

First team All-Ivy standout. Harvard basketball co-captain. Not selected in the NBA Draft. Dallas Mavericks summer league team.

Keith Wright ’12 continues to follow in the footsteps of Jeremy Lin ’10.

The Mavericks on Friday announced that they had invited the former Crimson center to play for their summer league squad next week in Las Vegas, giving Wright an opportunity much like the one Dallas provided Lin with two years ago. From there, of course, Lin outplayed No. 1 overall pick John Wall and within 24 months had become one of the most popular athletes on the planet and earned a $30 million contract.

While duplicating his former teammate’s path will be near-impossible, Wright is just happy about having the same chance to show what he can do as his fellow Leverett House alumnus was granted.

“Who would've thought I would have the opportunities that I have now?” tweeted Wright, who averaged 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this year. “Chasing my dreams and getting ready to play in the NBA summer league!”

In Vegas, the former Crimson center will be on a team with the Mavericks’ three draft picks—guard Jared Cunningham, forward Jae Crowder, and center Bernard James, who Wright held to five points in Harvard’s November win over then-No. 22 Florida State in November. Other teammates include former Bob Cousy award winner Dee Brown and New Mexico star Drew Gordon, brother of Harvard women’s basketball sophomore Elise Gordon.

Also partaking in the summer league next week will be Penn’s Zack Rosen, Wright’s successor as Ivy League Player of the Year, who will suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Mavericks will play five games from July 15-21. On July 20, Dallas will face the New Orleans Hornets, against whom Wright could have the chance to faceoff with National Player of the Year Anthony Davis.

And while on paper it would appear Wright would be no match for the No. 1 overall pick, well, that’s also what was said about a certain former teammate of his—and things turned out pretty well in that case.