words // Nick DePaula
All throughout the summer -- because of the damn lockout -- NBA stars from all thirty teams were free to play in charity games and pickup battles around the country.
The end result was legendary for fans streaming online or up close in gyms and blacktops alike, as we got a raw look at everyone from rising swingman DeMar DeRozan and under-the-radar rookie Josh Selby to speedy guards John Wall and Brandon Jennings to more established stars like Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
Even Kobe Bryant got an exhibition game in at LA's Drew League, hitting an expected game winner at the buzzer over a helpless defender, who happened to be James Harden.
As the charity game circuit and streetball tournaments bounced from LA to DC to even the FIU campus and naturally, the famed Rucker Park, the highlights and crossovers started piling up online for everyone to check out. A huge thanks goes out to both BallIsLife.com and HoopMixTape.com, who spent all summer long sorting through footage of the game's biggest stars and putting together the following mixtapes below.
Which signature athlete had the best lockout highlights? Check out the summer mixtapes for KD, LeBron, John Wall and Brandon Jennings ahead, and let us know in the comments section ahead.
Brandon Jennings -- Compton, CA (Milwaukee Bucks)
Kevin Durant -- Washington D.C. (Oklahoma City Thunder)
John Wall -- Raleigh, NC (Washington Wizards)
LeBron James -- Akron, OH (Miami Heat)
