The NBA Summer League always brings out inspirational stories of young grit and vigour each year. The 2026 edition is no different, with fans, scouts, and NBA teams looking out for potential last-minute additions to their roster. Among these young prospects looking to make a splash, fans have noticed a distinctive player in the Los Angeles Lakers’ ranks.
Jon Elmore, a 30-year-old G-League veteran Point Guard, has been contributing well to the team as they move into the semifinals of the Summer League. The 6’3 Marshall University alum wears a #40 jersey, and he is trending on social media after coming off the bench to score 11 points and 5 assists in a dominant showing against the Chicago Bulls.
Elmore is a viral sensation online for his distinctive balding look, veteran poise, and elite playmaking abilities. He’s a journeyman who has moved around the G-League and leagues in Italy, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, and Turkey.
Elmore has tasted success in the G-League by lifting the title with the Stockton Kings, where he averaged 13.8 PPG and 6.1 APG during their 2026 Finals run. At 30 years and six months, he remains fully focused on earning his first career NBA contract.
Elmore, the Seasoned Veteran
Elmore, at 30 years and 6 months, isn’t the oldest player on the Summer League roster, as he comes second to Aaron Pervis Williams, who, at 34 years and eight months, is playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the Summer League. But unlike Elmore, Williams hasn’t played a minute for the Bucks.
This year's Summer League has 41 players born before 2000, ensuring the veterans don’t feel out of place. Many, like Elmore, haven’t touched the NBA level, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying.
The former Marshall Thundering Herd college basketball star continues to grind it out for a place in the Association. Elmore was a force to be reckoned with in the Marshall outfit, where he led the CUSA in both points per game and assists per game in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
In his senior season, the PG scored his 2,000th point to become only the third player in the school’s history to achieve the milestone. The same year, he became the Conference USA all-time leading scorer, surpassing UTEP’s Stefon Jackson. Earlier in the season, he also passed UTEP’s Julyan Stone to make the conference’s all-time assist record his own, which also brought him the distinction of being the only current player to lead a conference in both categories.
Elmore is also the first player in NCAA Division I history to have over 2,500 points and over 750 assists. In 2019, Elmore added another cap to his illustrious collegiate career by becoming Marshall’s all-time leading scorer, breaking the record previously held by Skip Henderson. He continues to rank first all-time in assists and second in total points for Marshall.
The Professional Journeyman
After his successful collegiate career, where he led Marshall to championships and got an MVP award, he declared for the 2018 draft but returned to Marshall. In 2019, he was undrafted in the NBA draft.
After going undrafted, he joined the Boston Celtics to play in the NBA Summer League. The same year, he signed with Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian league, Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). A stint at Orlandina Basket of the Italian second division followed this.
From 2020 onwards, Elmore has moved leagues around the world with stints in Greece, where he didn’t debut, and one year in Lithuania. In 2022, he joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA G League.
After stints in Skyforce and a one-month cameo at the Cleveland Charge, Elmore was traded to the Stockton Kings and stayed on for the 2024-25 season, and then came back to the team for the 2025-26 season after a short stint at Manisa Basket.
His last team before joining the Lakers in the Summer League was the Calgary Surge in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
