Okafor Ready For Camp After Eventful Summer

Two days away from the start of training camp with the Bobcats and heading into his second NBA season, Okafor can hardly contain his excitement about getting back to work.

"I'm ready to go," Okafor said. "I can't wait. I'm excited to get back on the court with these guys, start working hard and just get back after it."

After winning the 2004-05 Rookie of the Year award and becoming the face of the Bobcats franchise in its inaugural season, Okafor could sit back and say that everything is on track early in his NBA career, but he doesn't.

Instead, he acknowledges he can't be satisfied with the results he had in his first year and admits he has to improve all aspects of his game as he embarks upon his second pro season.

"I have to improve on everything," he said. "It's only my second year, and I'm not a vet yet. The good thing is that now I know what to expect and know the process of how to get things done."

Okafor spent a hectic 2005 offseason trying to make himself a better player, teammate and person both on and off the court.

He started the summer by heading to Europe with Bobcats guard Kareem Rush and fellow NBA players Luke Walton, Bryan Cook, Devean George and Richard Jefferson. Rush was an unrestricted free agent when the trip began, but both he and Okafor had a feeling he'd be back in a Bobcats uniform by the end of the summer. They were right, as Rush signed with the Bobcats on August 12, 2005.

If the trip to Europe accomplished anything outside of getting Okafor some much-needed relaxation time, it enabled him to establish a closer bond with one of his teammates off the court - something both he and Rush viewed as important as players on a second-year team.

"Any time you can establish a better relationship with your teammates, you have to go and do it," Okafor said. "In this business, players stick and move, so you have to bond while you can."

When Rush returned from Europe to finalize his signing with the Bobcats, Okafor thought about extending his trip to Barcelona, but an incredible opportunity arose and he headed back to Houston.

While traveling, Okafor got word from a friend that he had chance to get in some offseason work with legendary former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon. It was an opportunity to learn from one of his boyhood heroes that Okafor wasn't about to pass up.

"With Hakeem being available, I was definitely going to come back over and get the chance to work with him," Okafor said. "I was a huge fan of his growing up - huge. I told him the story of how I grew up watching him and how when I was younger, my friend gave me a card to get signed by him, but I was too scared to get it. Now I was working out with him."

Okafor made the most of his time with "The Dream," soaking in every bit of knowledge the future Hall of Famer was willing to share with him.

"I had to get on it to see what he had to offer, and he had to offer a lot," Okafor said. "He worked with me on basic footwork, understanding the game, when to use what and having certain staple moves and knowing how to wear defenders down."

From there, Okafor headed to Los Angeles for a September 15 taping of Wheel of Fortune. Okafor teamed up with a Charlotte resident in the game show's NBA Week. The most important thing to Okafor was that a portion of his, and the rest of the NBA players, winnings was donated to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

"It was good time and a lot of fun, and we were all able to give to a great cause," Okafor said. "Y'all will see how I did soon (at the end of October). I can't give it away yet."

With so many things going on this summer, including a Bobcats commercial shoot last week, Okafor admitted that at times he felt like he might have had too much on his plate, but everything worked out well.

"I felt like I might have been all over the place a little bit, but I like to keep things active. It keeps me burning calories," Okafor said with a smile. "The whole summer I had a lot to do, but I also dedicated myself to working on my game. Hopefully everyone will see that once training camp starts and the season gets underway."

By Matt Rochinski, BobcatsBasketball.com