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The Bobcats hosted a Special Olympics clinic on Thursday

Special Olympics Photo Gallery

“Shuffle to the right, shuffle to the left, hands up, contest the shot!”

Dozens of feet instantly hit the hardwood as Bobcats center Ryan Hollins called out instructions and moved up and down the court leading defensive drills.

Defense was just one of the skills the Bobcats highlighted on Thursday when they hosted a basketball clinic for 150 Special Olympic athletes from North and South Carolina.

In what has become an annual event, the entire team along with former NBA great and team ambassador Dell Curry, came together to share some of their knowledge of the game with these enthusiastic athletes.

“This is an event that the players, staff and the whole organization looks forward to every year,” said Curry. “It’s just getting a chance to interact with this group of athletes and to see the joy and excitement and appreciation on their faces.”

The passion and excitement the Special Olympic athletes have for the game could be felt from the moment they stepped on the floor at the Presbyterian Training Center. Divided into six different groups, they rotated from station to station, learning about the game from some of their favorite players.

“We are having a blast,” said guard Matt Carroll who teamed with Jason Richardson to work on outside jump shots. “They come in here and bring so much energy and excitement. We’re having lots of fun.”

The amount of fun everyone was having was evidenced by the number of cheers that echoed through the gym every time someone made a good shot.

For rookie Jared Dudley, the clinic was one of the best parts of his day.

“This is something you love to do,” he said as he teamed up with Othella Harrington to work with the athletes on rebounding. “Anytime you make it to the NBA and people get to watch you on TV, you want to give back. To hang out with these guys and laugh and joke around with them is definitely fun for me.”

Perhaps no one had more fun than Hollins, who spent the hour shouting encouragement and as a result was nearly hoarse when the event ended.

“We really had a good time and I definitely enjoyed myself,” he said. “We got a chance to work them and give them some individual attention. I was teaching them a little bit of defense. It may be something simple, to the right, to the left and contesting, but that’s simple basketball.”

In addition to learning about defense, rebounding and jump shots, the Special Olympians went through layup drills with Raymond Felton and Earl Boykins, worked on short range jumpers with Nazr Mohammed and Sean May and perfected their passing with Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor.

At each station the Special Olympic athletes put every ounce of effort they had into trying their best and even when the shot fell short or they dropped a pass, the smiles never left their faces.

Their enthusiasm for the game was contagious and definitely left a lasting impression on the Bobcats players.

“I’m impressed with the heart and the passion that they have,” remarked Carroll. “I think it’s pretty exciting for them, but it’s also exciting for us, too.”

“It’s a great event,” added Hollins. “Everything they do on a day-to-day basis really inspires us to carry on.”

The event is also great experience for the Special Olympians who get the opportunity to get up and close and personal with some of the best athletes in the world.

“Our athletes have the chance to come out and meet the guys they see on TV,” said Jonathan Embler, the Sports Director for Special Olympics. “A lot of our athletes follow these guys from the time they are in college and to see them and rub elbows with them, really is a great experience. They look forward to it all year long. They learn different things that they can take as they go and participate in our basketball events for Special Olympics.”