The former Northwestern captain picked up his victory in what could be a very promising coaching career.
Thursday night was a big one for Northwestern alums. Nick Martinelli showed out in his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he wasn't the only former Wildcat to garner Summer League headlines.
Sanjay Lumpkin, who spent five years playing in Evanston from 2012 to 2017, earned his first win as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks in the Las Vegas Summer League. The Hawks defeated the Spurs, 93-66, in a rousing victory to advance to 1-0 in Vegas. Atlanta went 2-1 in the Salt Lake City Summer League prior to heading to Sin City, but the team was then coached by assistant Antonio Lang, rather than Lumpkin.
The Hawks jumped out to an early 12-point lead after the first quarter, then proceeded to extend their advantage in each period. Atlanta led by 18 at the half on the way to its 27-point win. Under Lumpkin's tutelage, seven players scored in double figures, while No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings finished with five points and eight assists.
Lumpkin's squad will be back in action on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets. The Hawks will then face the Boston Celtics on Monday, the Memphis Grizzlies on July 16 and an opponent yet to be determined afterward, depending on the previous results. Atlanta's 2-1 record in Salt Lake City does not impact whether the group will have the opportunity to compete for the Summer League Championship or not.
Mar 11, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Sanjay Lumpkin (34) shoots the ball over Wisconsin Badgers forward Vitto Brown (30) in the first half during the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesAs a 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard, Lumpkin was a part of some of the most notable teams in Northwestern history. The Wayzata, Minn., native appeared in four games as a true freshman during a redshirt season, then started 126 of his next 133 career games.
That included his senior season, in which Lumpkin helped lead the Wildcats to their first March Madness berth in program history and a trip to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. The captain started all 36 games and averaged a career-best 6.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 55.8% shooting.
Lumpkin then played in the G League, competing for the Atlanta affiliate Erie BayHawks/College Park Skyhawks. Upon retiring, Lumpkin transitioned to the coaching side of the game. He was a video coordinator for the Utah Jazz under Quin Snyder from 2020 to 2022 and remained with the team as a player development coach under Will Hardy.
When Snyder got the Atlanta Hawks' head coaching job in 2023, he brought Lumpkin with him as an assistant coach. The former Northwestern Wildcat just completed his third season with the Hawks before earning his first Summer League head coaching opportunity.
