As a junior and senior at Latta High School in South Carolina, he won back-to-back state championships on the court with the Vikings. As a senior in 2002, he won the Naismith Award as the National High School Player of the Year and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year. He attended one of the most prestigious basketball universities in the country at North Carolina and won a national championship with the Tar Heels in 2005. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.

While in the process of living this dream, Felton is not about to forget about where everything started for him.

On Saturday, September 24, Felton returned to Latta High School to put on two free youth basketball clinics for boys and girls from ages 8-13 years old. These camps weren't just about improving basketball skills; they were also about helping the 300+ campers realize that they could make their dreams become reality, too.

"The main thing I'm trying to get across to the kids is to have fun and stay focused, both on and off the court," Felton said. "I just want them to believe in themselves. I'm living proof right now that you can make it out of a small town, and that's what I'm trying to preach to them."

It was evident back in August when the announcement was made that Felton would be hosting the clinics that his message was one that people in and around Latta were anxious for their kids to hear. Both clinics were filled only two days after they were announced.

"I was a little bit overwhelmed because the phones never stopped ringing," Vivian Harper, the clinic coordinator, said. "When I was answering one call, another was coming through. It was surprising it filled up so quickly, but I had a feeling it would."

The excitement continued to build when the coaching clinics began, as the kids got to hear not only from Felton, but also from his former high school and AAU coach and members of his friends and family.

"I told the kids that Raymond realized he had a talent at an early age and was smart enough to know that if he worked hard and listened to his parents, teachers and coaches, that good things could probably happen and this basketball thing could take him where he wanted to go," Felton's high school coach, Steve Smith, said. "Raymond has made it so far and reached his dreams, but he's going to keep working to go to another level. If these kids can buy into that, they can get to a great level both on and off the court and be great members of society."

Bringing back his old coaches, family and friends to help with the clinics was an important decision for Felton.

"I just tried to bring in everybody who has played a part in my life both in and out of basketball, because they all made a tremendous impact on me," Felton said. "I know that the things they taught me are important to teach the kids, so what better way to do that than to bring them all in to do it."

Felton's family, friends and former coaches not only provided inspiration for the campers but also helped them improve on some basic skills, including passing and receiving, dribbling, shooting and defense.

"It's going great. The kids are all learning and having a great time doing it," the mayor of Latta, Berry Lenneau, said during the first clinic. "All you have to do is look around at the smiles on all of these kids faces to see that. Raymond is just such a great person, and he energizes the whole town."

Those smiles were what made everything worthwhile in Felton's eyes.

"Just getting the chance to mingle with the kids and give back something to them, that's what it's all about," he said. "It's more than enough just to see them smile and let them know that just because I made it to the NBA doesn't mean I'm not going to come back home and do for them. It means a lot, because this is where it all began."

By Matt Rochinski, BobcatsBasketball.com