Pitt great Blake Hinson recently began his career as a professional basketball player, competing in the NBA Summer League for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the Summer League, Hinson had two games in which he hit at least five three pointers. In his final game on July 21, Hinson lit up the Chicago Bulls for 25 points, three rebounds, and two assists in a dominant win for his Lakers’ squad. But before he could get down to L.A. to prepare for the season, instead of going anywhere else, Hinson returned to Pitt — just months after leaving his home of two years.
“Last week, Blake came back and he practiced with us,” Pitt head coach Jeff Capel said on Thursday. “None of the five-on-five stuff, just the shooting stuff. Then, he got up in the morning and he got some of the guys, the guys that are in that position, the wing-forwards, so to speak.”
“He left Summer League and came straight here,” Capel continued. “I asked him [why], a little bit surprised by that. He’s like, ‘Well, Justin [Champagnie] did that for us, and so I wanted to make sure I was back with these guys working out with them.’ I never even thought about that. I didn’t know Justin did that. So that was really cool.”
Hinson went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft after shining at Pitt over the past two seasons. He elected to sign with the Lakers shortly after the draft concluded, signing a two-year, two-way contract with the organization.
Bub Carrington, Pitt’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, also returned to Pitt to work out with the current team, to watch The Basketball Tournament, and to be around the program.
“I think it’s a great thing, and it shows the closeness that they have, and probably more important to me, that these guys know that they’re a part of something bigger than them. That’s what I’ve wanted, since that was my experience in college. I want all of the guys that wore this uniform to feel that. When we had the Zoo Crew back, I spoke to those guys. One of the things I said to them, like, this is you guys’ program. It doesn’t matter if you played for Ben, Jamie, me, Kevin. Whoever it was, y’all wore the jersey, you should always feel welcomed here. This is your place. It’s great to see these guys come back.”
Carrington, Hinson, and Champagnie were all in the building for Zoo Crew’s run in The Basketball Tournament.
LOOK: Bub Carrington Returns to Pitt
Hinson and Carrington = class act. Love it!