Almost everyone in the crowd had a question, but they weren’t the questions Nazr Mohammed usually gets when he takes the court.
“What’s your shoe size?” (Size 17.) “What’s your favorite shot to take?” (A lay-up.) “Can you dunk a basketball?” (He’s done it once or twice.)
These were the questions posed by the 110 participants in the Thunder Youth Basketball Spring Break Camp, presented by Cox Communications, and Mohammed seemed more than happy to answer them.
Where he really spoke, however, was practicing basketball skills with the kids. After a group photo with Mohammed, each age group went to their stations and waited for the 7-foot pro to show them some fundamentals.
Mohammed helped the smallest kids – as young as five – through shooting drills, but he also picked up a few to help them dunk. Older kids took turns running pick and rolls around the Thunder center. One group worked on their defensive hustle. The oldest age bracket, which went up to 16, tried to shoot around Mohammed; they were all smiles when he blocked their shots.
“I had a lot of fun,” said Mohammed. “I worked up a sweat, worked hard.” To prove it, he pointed to the sweat soaking through his shirt. Mohammed stressed that it’s “different, […but] so important” to be teaching the fundamentals to young basketball players – and not just basketball skills. Thunder Youth Camps emphasize key character lessons of teamwork, sportsmanship and respect.
After working with every boy and girl, Mohammed handed out medals for the day to the kids who best exemplified both skills and attitude.
Thunder Youth Basketball camps and mini-camps are open to boys and girls ages 5-16. Presented by Cox Communications, Thunder Youth Basketball Camps provide each child with a Thunder Youth Basketball T-shirt and ticket for an upcoming Thunder game. When available, the camps feature Thunder coaches and players, and usually feature Rumble the Bison and members of the Thunder Girls.