About the Larry Drew Basketball Camp:
Erik Woods
Special to CaliforniaPreps.com
They call the University of Arizona's basketball program "point guard U" because so many current pros have gone through there to reach that next level. That same phrase of praise could someday apply to the new Advanced Academy which will soon be launched by Larry Drew. Drew is currently the lead assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and has been in the NBA for the past 23 years as a player, scout, and assistant coach. He's personally helped to develop to a whole new level the likes of Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, and countless others.
Many NBA assistant coaches use their summers to relax so why are Larry Drew and his staff of fellow NBA assistant coaches taking weeks from their summer to establish a premier learning academy for players of all positions wanting to raise their game? Drew says, "We have to take the time to help aspiring players get back to the basics for basketball. Our kids nowadays see the flashiness and bad habits all too often and have been exposed to improper concepts of the game. For example, a point guard needs to have an intense critical thinking mentality when handling the ball to control his team. We plan to give the players that enroll in the academy the time, care, and fundamentals to reach their maximum potential. If these participants want it bad enough we'll help them get there."
Drew and his staff (many are listed below) are geared toward helping players master the perimeter positions of the 1, 2, and 3 spots on a team. "We plan on having NBA assistant coaches and former league players at the academy lead the instruction as we're transferring all the nuances, training, and strategies of the players we've worked with over the years to the people who are coming to attend this camp. We will also have sessions to assist coaches at all levels to learn these powerful techniques that we hope they'll implement and share with others. This won't be a celebrity camp where loose instruction occurs. Rather, it'll be a boot camp for people who are driven to get better."
Drew tries to get high school players to realize the importance of shooting because kids need to know that "if you are a 6'2" forward in high school you will need to adjust to the perimeter play at the next level." A recent example of the passion that Larry Drew brings to the game can be seen in All-Star New Jersey Net forward Richard Jefferson who describes his old coach as a "hard knocks" teacher of the game. Drew knew that Jefferson could be more than an athletic transition player. They discussed the adjustments in his game to make him more multi-dimensional. Drew states, "Richard Jefferson is a very talented player. He and I devised and studied a lot of video to construct a plan and goal of making him a better shooter by using the seams of the basketball to increase his outside shot percentage. We showed him how to 'seam it up better'. He made us all proud while I was with the Nets by dedicating himself fully to this goal. I love finding that extra dimension in people and helping to make them better by implementing a plan to get them there."
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Larry Drew as a Laker guard. |
Where does Drew draw his inspiration to help others? He was influenced greatly by two people in his life that taught him well: his older brother James who showed him the value of excelling at hoops and life while growing up, and the late NBA coach Cotton Fitzsimmons who helped mold him to get the skills and mentality to be more productive. Results speak to this: in 1982 Drew averaged 20 points and 8 assists per game in the NBA. Drew comments, "These two guys showed me how to get it done right as a player on the court and as a person in life. I want to give back as much as possible to kids through the high-level skill instruction of this academy; this is a way of honoring my childhood and early adult mentors. All of the NBA mentors in this project want to give kids a character education and tough love that will lead them to a 'can do' mentality in life."
This camp has high expectations and goals. Academy participants need to realize that this won't be a "mess around" type of camp that usually has a marquee name just to draw kids. Larry Drew won't be playing golf while some high school age camp instructors roll out the balls and get the kids prepared for autograph signing sessions. This summer you'll see the old school basics provided by Drew and his associates as they examine and improve the games of their students. Sites include LACES, Colony, and Peninsula high schools as well as the American Sports Center in Anaheim for the pro sessions.
Here's a partial list of some of the great NBA assistant coaches that will be handling the actual coaching chores:
Michael Cooper, Eddie Johnson, Mike Woodson, Darrell Walker, Herb Brown, Reggie Theus, Brian Shaw, Kenny Natt, Chris Bodaken, Norm Nixon, Mark Aguirre, Patrick Ewing, Phil Ford, Dave Fizdale, Mitchell Butler, Bob Bender and Leonard Hamilton.
The camps are for youth, prep, college, and professional levels and will run from May through August.
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