In 5 days we traveled over 1500 miles and did basketball clinics in 12 different cities from Ely, Nevada to Escalante, Utah. I wanted to share a few pictures from our trip. Hopefully you enjoy seeing a few of the things I got to see and do along the way.
One of the best parts of the Jr. Jazz trip each year is seeing all the different scenery around Utah. I have been to pretty much every National Park in the state from Zion to Bryce Canyon and Arches to Capital Reef. There are some awesome things to see. I wish my family could see some of the amazing things with me.
Photo by Ravell Call/Deseret News
A few times during the week we had the chance to go fishing. I used to fish a lot with my granddad when I was young but I always got bored because I never caught anything. We fished at a lake in Alton, UT and also at Pine Lake near Bryce Canyon. I had a lot of fun but didn’t have much luck. I also got to fly fish for the first time. It probably didn’t help that there were some scouts throwing rocks in the water while we fished but it was a good time and very relaxing.
The place that I spent most of my time on the trip was in the gym. I really enjoy working with the kids and teaching them a few things that have helped me in life both on and off the court. Kids always ask me what they need to do to make it to the NBA and I tell them to do well in school and to listen to their parents. Those are two things that will always help them. Growing up people always told me I was too skinny to play in the NBA, but my mom always told me I could make it and I kept working hard and I made it.
I alsohad a lot of fun playing with the kids on the court. We did everything from dribbling and passing drills to relay races and we also played some one-on one and had some shooting contests. It’s fun to see the kids enjoy playing basketball.
Another fun part of the clinics is signing autographs and taking pictures with the kids. I signed everything from a glove with no fingers to lots of homemade Jazz signs. The kids always bring plenty of fun stuff for me to sign.
Photo by Ravell Call/Deseret News
My favorite part of the Jr. Jazz clinics is seeing the look on the kids’ faces. They look like they are having so much fun and I’m having just as much fun as they are. It has been a great chance to participate in the Jr. Jazz trip for the past few years and hopefully I see all of the Jr. Jazz players that I’ve met over the years at a Jazz game soon.
Hope you’re all enjoying your summer and we’ll see you all soon. Go Jazz!