The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The Thompson family have been mainstays of the Jeff Rodgers Summer Basketball Camp and once again they made their usual appearance at the 31st edition of the event.

Bahamian basketball legend Mychal Thompson, along with his sons – Mychel “MJ” Thompson and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors – attended yesterday’s camp at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, much to the approval of the many campers and instructors.

In addition to the Thompsons, Bahamian Olympic hero Leevan “Superman” Sands also made an appearance at yesterday’s camp.

Klay recently won his third NBA Championship in four years with the Golden State Warriors last month and averaged 19.2 points per game en route to his fourth All-Star appearance.

“This is always on my calendar every summer to be at the Jeff Rodgers camp,” he said. “I just love hanging out with the kids, talking to them, it doesn’t even have to be about basketball it can just be about life and it gives me a lot of joy to just show them that I’m one of them.”

A former participant at the camp himself, Klay said he hopes to have the same impact on today’s campers that Rick Fox had on him years ago.

“This is why we work so hard to want to be an NBA player one day. I was at the Jeff Rodgers camp when I was 11 years old and I remember Rick Fox came back and I was so excited to see him. Now I see Rick and I’m like ‘what’s up Rick?’ and it’s not that big of a deal, but when I was a kid it was everything to me,” he said.

“To be able to have that impact, teach a few fundamentals and have them to know that I have Bahamian roots means everything to me and I look forward to coming back the rest of my career. Even the gym looks great, I remember being on a concrete floor back in the day so to see where the camp has gone now, it’s amazing.”

He also noted the impact of the Warriors’ popularity and the cultural shift it has created in the Bahamas.

“It’s amazing and it makes me want to work that much harder. When I came here as a rookie it was ‘Lakerland’ down here. Everybody was a Kobe fan, there were Kobe jerseys everywhere,” he said.

“But now to see all of these kids wearing Warriors stuff, asking me to shoot three-pointers, not going out there to do a windmill, it shows the popularity our team has gained and I wear the Bahamas with pride. It’s my second home – if not home for me – so anytime I get to see my entire family and put a smile on these kids’ faces I appreciate it because that’s something you can’t buy.” Mychal recounted his story from being a young teenager in the Bahamas to become the first foreign-born player selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft.

“We didn’t have these opportunities when I was a kid growing up in the Bahamas trying to learn the game so I want you guys to truly appreciate this platform and the opportunity that this provides,” he said. “It’s a really a blessing that Jeff continues to do this every year so even if it’s just a month, with you guys, for that month you get to be taught the game at a high level and to learn life lessons.”

He eventually won two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and ‘88, before he retired in 1991. His sons have all reached the level of elite professional sports with Trayce – an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox organisation, Mychel – a member of the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA’s G League and Klay.

“Basketball is an amazing tool, I didn’t play when I was as young as many of you here but there were people that identified my potential, that they thought I could do with the game and I was able to change my life and impact the lives of many others. To get to that point it takes focus, it takes the drive, it takes discipline and dedication to your craft. I was one of the first but my story isn’t unique.”

Klay also gave his take on a busy summer for NBA free agency and said the Lakers signing LeBron James could create a tough decision for his father on where he places his rooting interests.

“When the Lakers are good, its good for the entire NBA. I know that California rivalry might be revived between us and them,” he said, “My pops is going to be torn, there is going to be some friction in the family because I don’t know if he will go Lakers or Warriors but I’m just excited there will be some juice in the Staples Center.

Sands told the campers his story of perseverance from the sport’s pinnacle in 2008 when he won triple jump bronze in Beijing in 2008 and at the low point when a knee injury denied him a shot at greatness in London 2012.

The veteran triple jumpers return to the sport following the injury has been well documented and he shared his experience to inspire the group.

“You can do anything you set your mind to with heart, determination, work ethic and trust in God,” Sands said, “After the injury there were so many people around who I thought were in my corner but they lost faith in me, I had no agent, no trainer, not much support other than close friends and family, but I worked my way back to the top of the sport and back to the Olympics in 2016.”

The Thompsons offered t-shirt and backpack giveaways courtesy of Anta while Sands shared product from his Bounce Back clothing line.

The camp will host its final work day today and the fun night will be hosted tonight at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. Fun Night will be highlighted by an exhibition game between camp instructors and the visiting NBA icons.

Camp director Jeff Rodgers underscored the importance of the event.

“We thank God for continuing to allow us to host the camp. These guys have always supported me and they understand what I am trying to accomplish. So to have a living legend like Mychal Thompson and these current stars take time out of their busy schedule it is a blessing and this is a commitment that they have made and they continue to honour that commitment. To us, this is the most important event in the camp because it gives the kids an opportunity to showcase all the skills they have learned over the past few weeks for their parents, friends and other interested basketball enthusiasts. But again, more than anything else, we want to ensure that the campers understand the importance of developing healthy bodies with a positive outlook on life.”

Each of the visiting NBA icons conducted sessions with the campers aimed at instilling the values and ideals necessary for success on and off the court.

“We are so thankful to be able to reach this far and to still have the impact we have at 30 years. I really appreciate the time these guys take out to talk to the different groups, talk about their life experiences and the messages they deliver - staying in school, staying out of trouble, staying off drugs. Some of the same things I have been telling the past four weeks and 31 years,” Rodgers said. “This year has probably been our greatest challenge by far kids were so excited and it is always a great experience for them to have the guys.”

In addition to the impact of the visiting NBA personalities, Rodgers said it is always important for the campers to be tutored by local players that have excelled in the game.

“Every morning, we had the instructors and the guys from the national team interact with the kids so they see it’s not just the NBA stars, they get it from our very own talent just to show that there’s one message - there are rules on the court and there are rules in life,” Rodgers said.

“We put a lot of focus in talking and teaching them as much as possible about life off the basketball court. One of the most important things for them to understand, and to teach them about Bahamian society and the challenges they will face off the basketball court with a focus on integrity and character building,” he said.