Sports Medicine Series, the Future of Sports Medicine: Innovation, Insight, and Impact

This year NBA Summer League launched the inaugural Sports Medicine Series powered by Sports Business Classroom, a two-day event at UNLV dedicated to the future of athlete health, recovery, and performance.

Bringing together over 20 experts across the sports landscape, the series featured physical therapists, athletic trainers, front-office executives, data scientists, agents, athletes, and more. The goal: to share insights on what it takes to keep players performing at the highest level.

Standout voices included UFC Senior Director of Sports Medicine Heather Linden, who explored regenerative techniques and orthobiologics, and Sacramento Kings VP Alvin Gentry, who highlighted how communication between medical, performance, and basketball operations enhances long-term success. On the player side, Brook Lopez and Jalen Suggs provided candid perspectives on recovery routines, managing the grind of an NBA season, and embracing modern approaches like load management.

Panels covered wide-ranging topics, from mental performance coaching with Fernando Pereira to forecasting injury risk through biomechanics and data analysis with leaders like Eric Leidersdorf of P3 Peak Performance Project and Hannah Heiring of the Golden State Warriors. A highlight was a conversation moderated by Tommy Sheppard, bringing together Lopez, Suggs, Clippers head trainer Maggie Bryant, and agent Todd Ramasar to show how different perspectives must align when managing player workload.

With its mix of innovation, science, and real-world perspectives, the Sports Medicine Series provided an invaluable platform for students and professionals alike, offering not just education but networking opportunities that could shape careers. As Summer League continues to grow beyond basketball, this new series sets the standard for how athlete care will be discussed and developed in the years to come.