"Andre! Andre! Andre!"
Tiny piercing voices in the gymnasium broke out in a chant as 50 campers, aged five through nine, cheered Thunder guard Andre Roberson after he remained the last dribbler standing and playfully raised his arms in triumph after a gripping elimination game of Dribble Knockout. The youngsters' spirit of joie de vivre throughout the day resonated with Roberson in his surprise visit to the Thunder Youth Basketball camp in Bixby, Oklahoma on Friday morning.
The lengthy defensive stopper also lead a gamut of basketball drills and games on the back-end of his camp agenda with an additional 50 campers aged 10 to 16. Pulling double duty, Roberson relished the opportunity to give back as he reflected on his childhood experience.
"I definitely remember going to camps like these back in San Antonio growing up," Roberson said. "It was fun back when I was little. It's pretty fun being on the opposite end."
"When I was little, people shared their time with me and it was a blessing," Roberson continued. "I'm taking the opportunity to do the same."
In poetic fashion, Roberson's visit was somewhat of a return to the area since his stint on the Thunder's D-League team. Roberson appreciated his role of instilling the fundamental skills and life lessons with these nascent roundballers as they hone their on-court techniques.
"Just giving back, teaching the kids some of the drills and what it takes to grow and get to each level," Roberson said. "It's fun to interact with kids."
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