What's that Nelly says?

"It's getting hot in herre...." (yeah, that's how he spells it...)

Welcome to Las Vegas, where the locals won't listen to you complain, because, as they say, it's a DRY heat.

To hell with that, I say.

It's a HOT heat.

Check out the thermometer by the pool today (and that's in the SHADE, yo):

I'm here blurring the line between work and play again, shooting Kevin Durant's debut with the Sonics in the NBA Summer League:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 105mm, ISO 1250, 1/500 sec. @ f2.8)

It's hard work. Really. When it's over 110 degrees, you have to watch your sunscreen and make sure you dip in the pool, all the while making sure you don't miss the game you're supposed to be shooting.

I jest. Kinda. Actually, if you know me at all, you know I love basketball so much I'll find myself in a gym any time of year.

Summer basketball is not the flashy, music-thumping, dancers-grinding, mascot-dunking show that the NBA features during the season.

It's quite the opposite.

Today's games were held in Cox Arena on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus, home of the Lady Rebels' women's hoops squad:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn, EF 16-35mm lens @ 16mm, ISO 1000, 1/320 sec. @ f2.8)

At halftime, the teams don't retire to regular locker rooms. Instead, they walk 10 or so feet off the court to a curtained-off section near the bleachers:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 25mm, ISO 1250, 1/80 sec. @f2.8)

Glamorous, huh?

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/80 sec. @f2.8)

With the exception of high draft picks like Durant, most of the players are looking to catch the attention of general managers and coaches, with the goal of getting invited to training camp in the fall. So, they play hard, ignoring that they're wearing practice jerseys, and playing in front of sparse crowds.

Newly-named Sonics head coach P.J. Carlisemo was in attendance, and chatted for awhile with Boston general manager Danny Ainge:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 175mm, ISO 1000, 1/320 sec. @ f2.8)

Durant didn't have a great game, but still led all scorers with 18 points on 5-17 shooting. He's smooth around the basket, and quick to the rim. Early on, he tried to take on Dallas' DeSagana Diop on a flying dunk, only to be fouled hard. Welcome to the NBA:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 90mm, ISO 1250, 1/500 sec. @ f2.8)

Seattle's second-round pick, Jeff Green from Georgetown University, struggled with fouls. Green managed to score seven points and only nabbed one rebound, but was also saddled with eight (!) fouls in almost 29 minutes of playing time, including this offensive foul when he used his off-arm to push off Dallas defender Nick Fazekas:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 95mm, ISO 1250, 1/500 sec. @ f2.8)

The games are officiated by referees who are either trying to break into the NBA or are in their first or second year in the league. In can lead to a lot of whistles. In fact, I watched as China's Yi Jianlian commited four fouls in the first six minutes of their game against Memphis. Luckily, you don't foul out in Summer League until your...TENTH foul.

Just ask overall number-one draft pick Greg Oden.

At halftime, I spotted former Seattle Prep and University of Washington star Spencer Hawes signing autographs. Apparently, he and Durant have become friends, as Durant came over and surprised him with a bear hug:

(Canon EOS 1d Mark IIN, EF 24-70mm lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/200 sec. @ f4.0)

After the game, Durant faced the media to answer questions about his debut:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 1000, 1/250 sec. @f2.8)

Co-worker Bob Condotta is on vacation (which, if you read him, doesn't mean he won't blog from a beach somewhere), so here's a partial of local connections on rosters down here this week (note, they're on rosters, which doesn't guarantee they will necessarily play).

Besides Hawes, there is his former Seattle Prep teammate Martell Webster (Portland), former Huskies Bobby Jones (Philadelphia), Will Conroy (Los Angeles Clippers), Tre Simmons and Nate Robinson (both New York Knicks), Eastern's Rodney Stuckey (Detroit), Oregon's (by way of Franklin High School) Aaron Brooks (Golden State), and lastly Coby Karl (Boise State) who most remember as the freckle-faced ballboy when his dad, George Karl was coach of the Sonics during their most-recent heyday.