Hannes Steinbach put in a strong performance for the Charlotte Hornets at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The German player also expressed satisfaction after his team’s final game.
“I think I did pretty well,” the Würzburg native told the Charlotte Observer with characteristic modesty. “It was a bit bumpy at the start, and I had to adjust my game a little, but that’s normal.”
It wasn’t a bad start, but the longer the Summer League went on, the more Steinbach saw the ball. On top of that, dominant players like Liam McNeeley weren’t used in the last two games
“After that, I found my rhythm and my game. Then I had a few good games, too.” In five appearances, Steinbach averaged 15.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 24.3 minutes. Only three players who played at least two games posted better numbers on the boards.
Hannes Steinbach with another impressive performance! Three double-doubles in five Summer League games. The chemistry between him and Christian Anderson Jr. really shows.
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) July 18, 2026
Steinbach mostly played at the four
It immediately became clear that the German, who was also named to the senior national team for the first time in August, could showcase his strengths at this level as well. “I just like to play physically; I look for contact. For me, it’s all about really doing that in every game.”
In Las Vegas, the German once again spent many minutes at the four, often alongside Ryan Kalkbrenner, who had already served as the Hornets’ backup center the previous year. “The way he protects the basket helps me a lot,” said the 20-year-old. “I can be so much more aggressive on defense because I know there’s someone behind me who can make every shot difficult.
Nevertheless, the Hornets lost four out of five games and were thus unable to defend their Summer League title. For Steinbach, however, it was still a good week—he definitely made a strong case for himself.
