The second iteration of the Summer Slam, hosted by entrepreneur and philanthropist Vinny Lobdell next month, hopes to raise $1 million and will have in attendance numerous players from Syracuse basketball's 2003 national championship team.
That's according to a report from Syracuse.com. Beyond an on-court conversation with Gerry McNamara and Carmelo Anthony, which had already been revealed, the Syracuse.com article says that several of their 2003 teammates will also be on hand at the 2026 Summer Slam.
Lobdell declined to name other players from the 2003 squad who will be there. The second-annual Summer Slam will take place on Wednesday, July 22, at Lobdell’s home in Skaneateles, N.Y.
Summer Slam is back! 🍊🔥
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) June 27, 2026
Join the current team and Orange legends on July 22 in Skaneateles!
➡️ https://t.co/qs5jwawVqC pic.twitter.com/sM2l2RKAGd
McNamara, the Orange program's first-year head coach, and Anthony, a 'Cuse hoops legend and Hall of Famer, were the guiding forces behind Syracuse basketball going 30-5 in the 2002-03 season and winning the team's first and only national title, with the legendary Jim Boeheim at the squad's helm back then. Anthony's son, Kiyan, is a sophomore guard on McNamara's roster for the 2026-27 term.
The 2026 Summer Slam should be a ton of fun.
According to Syracuse.com, Lobdell hopes to raise $1 million at the upcoming Summer Slam, with proceeds benefiting One Orange Alliance, which was formerly known as SU Football NIL and has evolved into a third-party marketing agency that will support all 20 'Cuse varsity sports with name, image and likeness ("NIL") deals. Last year's Summer Slam raised $500,000.
The event will include current Orange players competing in dunk and 3-point contests, a silent auction and the convo between GMac and Melo, which should be awesome. Per the Syracuse.com report, attendance at the Summer Slam is capped at around 400 people.
Beyond the exciting things that will transpire at next month's Summer Slam, it's important to note the financial component here. If the event does, in fact, raise $1 million for One Orange Alliance, that would be huge.
Money is the talk of college sports these days, especially when it comes to football and basketball. Teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference and around the country are tasked with raising millions upon millions of dollars every year to fund their roster budgets. Financial considerations are grouped into two main buckets: Payments made directly by schools to their athletes in the form of rev-share, and third-party NIL deals. Each is critical to attract and retain top talent.
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