HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Havre de Grace native and NBA star Immanuel Quickley held his second annual elite basketball camp this week at his alma mater, The John Carroll School in Bel Air, with the goal of empowering kids both on and off the court.
A 26-year-old guard with the Toronto Raptors, Quickley played for the University of Kentucky and was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft. For the 2024-2025 NBA season average 17.1 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and was 42% at the free throw line and 37.8% for 3 pointers. He previously played with the Knicks.
Quickley graduated from John Carroll in 2018 and felt compelled to host a basketball camp back home in the off-season. His IQ Basketball Camp ran this week with the help of accredited coaches, including John Carroll Boys Basketball Head Coach Seth Goldberg, and was open to boys and girls.
"This is my second annual basketball camp," Quickley told Patch in an interview. "I think it's part of being skillful in the game of basketball, but also ... life skills, teaching them about character, toughness, working together, working with other teammates. And that will carry them farther than just basketball, that'll help them out in life as well. A lot of them won't be professional athletes, but they'll work in business and be part of teams and units, so just trying to give them some nuggets that go beyond basketball and ... (be) something that can help them out."
Sixth grader Bryson Ladnese, who has been at the camp this week, told WMAR that it's "crazy" to have the opportunity to work with an NBA star.
“It's crazy 'cause he's from the same town as me,” Bryson says. “A NBA superstar in your same area.”
Zyree Berry said he's learned an important lesson from attending the camp and working with Quickley.
“I got to just work hard,” Zyree told WMAR. “A lot of people trying to make it to other sports and playing basketball, so I just gotta be willing to do what those other people aren’t willing to do.”
The Harford County native and NBA star also has created the Immanuel Quickley Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to deserving students seeking educational opportunities at The John Carroll School.
"This initiative underscores the camp’s mission to foster both athletic and academic excellence in the next generation," school officials noted.
In April, the NBA named Quickley as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for that month based on the creation of the scholarship fund, his basketball camp and all that he does to give back to youth and the community thruogh the Quickley Family Foundation.
Quickley also supports holistic health and wellness programs through his IQ5 Elite Youth Basketball Program and involvement with Courtside Care, an event focused on delivering free health care screenings and basketball activities to communities in need. Quickley received the David Robinson trophy as part of this honor, and the NBA donated $10,000 to Havre de Grace Boys & Girls Club.
Photo courtesy of The John Carroll School