NBA champion gives back with youth basketball camp
MILWAUKEE - At Milwaukee Lutheran High School, these campers are getting some championship-level instruction.
What we know:
Kevon Looney, a Milwaukee native and three-time NBA champion, returned home to host his annual youth basketball camp. =
"It's always fun to come back home to Milwaukee and do these camps," said Kevon Looney. "I’ve been doing it for 10 years now. I remember being a little kid, coming to a Devin Harris camp, going to Brandon Jenning’s camp and going to other NBA player’s camps and having a great time. So if I ever made it, I was going to do the same thing and follow in their footsteps, so it’s been a lot of fun to see the kids kinda grow up and fall in love with the game of basketball."
Looney has been hosting these camps for the last decade. He also does it with the support of Running Rebels, an organization he's been with since second grade.
Local perspective:
"They’re like my second family," said Looney. "I have a great relationship with everybody there. Came up with them as a kid. I worked there as my first job. I’m now becoming like a mentor, and they’re helping me run this camp and helping me leave an impact on the community."
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Looney's two-day youth basketball camp was a well-attended event. The kids did plenty of drill work, competitive shooting and even played some 5-on-5 basketball.
"I feel like I improved playing with Running Rebels, being here for two years, I learned a lot," said Jonathan Long, a returning camper.
"I feel like it’s a good environment to be around," said Bradyn Gordon, a returning camper. "It’s a lot of role models in better places than you are and places you want to be, so there are good people here that you want to look up to so you can get to their spot."
For Looney, it's always satisfying to see the high turnout with so many familiar faces who return year after year.
"The kids come up and show me the pictures," said Looney. "The kids always say it’s their favorite time of the year, which puts a big smile on my face that I’m giving them something to do, and I’m having an impact on the community."
His time in the offseason is always precious, but giving back was always one of his top priorities. Soon, he'll be busy on the court himself.
Looney is entering his 11th season in the NBA. After spending a decade with the Golden State Warriors, a team he won three NBA titles with, Looney is starting a new chapter. He's now heading to play for New Orleans, after signing a two-year deal with the Pelicans.
What they're saying:
"New Orleans has such a great culture in the city so I’m excited to be part of their team and part of their city, so look forward to going there." said Looney. "I think we have a chance to be really good. We got young talent, we got older talent, so I’m looking forward to coming there and leading by impact."
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Looney will also be reunited with another Milwaukee native on his new team. That's Jordan Poole, his former NBA championship-winning teammate in the Bay.
"That was one of the most exciting things about going to New Orleans, being able to play with him again," said Looney. "We’ve got a great relationship on the court and off the court, so I’m excited about that. Having another Milwaukee guy on the team for me has always been fun."
Back in Milwaukee, what Looney is doing can't be understated. That's because the assists he's giving these young hoopers could turn out to be life-changing.
"You never know how much of an impact you actually have until you see a kid grow up and they actually remember those times, so I’m very proud to be doing it for this long and I hope to keep it going," said Looney.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by the FOX6 sports team.
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