JJ Barea will take over as head coach of the Denver Nuggets’ Summer League squad after a three-day mini-camp at Ball Arena. The four-game slate opens on Friday at 4:40 p.m. MT in Las Vegas against the Houston Rockets, marking Barea’s first stint leading the young group on the court.

Barea’s own Summer League résumé reads like a textbook case of rapid growth. In 2006, he split time between the Warriors and Mavericks, logging 21 minutes per game and posting 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two steals. The following year he returned as a sophomore and surged to 16 points and seven assists per contest, a performance that helped him earn a contract with Dallas and later appear in 33 NBA games as a rookie.

The players remember Barea not just for his on-court résumé but for his larger-than-life NBA 2K avatar. “I’m not gonna lie. JJ was nice in 2K. Like, oh my gosh,” rookie guard KJ Simpson said. “They gave him a boost on his hops. His 3-point rating was elite, and he could dunk.” Barea laughed, adding, “I only dunked in warm-ups. I never dunked in a game.” The digital exaggeration serves as a reminder that work ethic, not flash, drives progress.

For the summer cohort, Barea’s own path from Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce to the NBA feels especially relevant. “I’ve been in these kids’ position,” he told the group. “I’m trying to help them out as much as I can in Summer League so they can get jobs, they can get contracts and they can help the Denver Nuggets out. ... I told them don’t take nothing for granted.”

Second-round picks Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins echo that sentiment. Brazile remarked, “It’s just crazy that he’s my coach now for Summer League, and I used to grow up playing with him on 2K.” Hopkins added, “Sniper. He was a sniper on 2K.” Their comments underscore how Barea’s blend of street-ball credibility and video-game mythos resonates with a roster eager to prove itself.

Over the next week the Nuggets will face the Rockets, Warriors, Mavericks and a fourth opponent. Success for Barea will be measured not by the win-loss column but by how many of his protégés earn roster spots or two-way deals after the tournament. If his mentorship translates into tangible NBA opportunities, Denver will have added another layer to its developmental arsenal.