The best part of summer started off the right way for nearly two hundred kids over the weekend. They got the opportunity to create core memories by spending the first two days of July playing basketball with Grant Williams at his ProCamps event.
As parents and kids filled up the Boston University rec center basketball court, the atmosphere was tense with anticipation as everyone was waiting for Williams’ introduction. Finally, the time came, and cheers erupted from all the kids as Grant ran through the crowd, making his way to the front. Williams hopped on the microphone as quickly as he could and began hyping up the crowd. The energy in the building was electric as the kids broke off into their own teams to begin the camp.
Once the kids were in groups, they began working on different basketball drills. Some involved footwork, while others worked on dribbling and lay-up lines. Williams walked throughout the entire camp, making sure to spend quality time with each group before moving onto the next. As he made his way from one team to the next, everything was all smiles and laughs. Grant was incredibly gracious as he coached the kids through their drills, and the kids were just as excited to try and show off for him.
“It means the world! It shows that it’s attainable. That’s the way I look at it. When I was their age, I was at camps just like this. Kemba Walker’s, DJ Augustin’s, All these back in the day,” Williams said about being an inspiration for these kids.
“I remember thinking back to these moments, and remembering the conversations I had with those guys, or even if they shook my hand, it meant the world to me. I try to come in here with great joy and try to show them that I’m here for them, just as much as they’re here for me.”
After Williams worked with all the teams that spanned across the entire gym, it was time for him to play one-on-one against a handful of lucky campers. The first challenger had his shot completely stuffed by Williams, while another was able to draw an absolutely hilarious foul, before winning off a free throw. Of course, Grant complained to the ref which generated a bunch of laughs from the crowd.
The kids split back up into their teams and began running five-on-five games against one another. Each team had a handful of substitutions, so everyone got the chance to play. When the games started, Williams made his way to each team, offering advice and guidance to all the campers.
Day 1 of the camp came and went, and all the campers went home as they prepared themselves to come back for Day 2 to experience new drills, form new teams, and make new friends. Every kid that attended left the camp with a full team photo with Grant, an autographed souvenir, and a limited edition t-shirt.
At the end of it all, every kid was able to leave Grant’s camp with an unforgettable memory. For some of these kids, this camp was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and for others, this was the exact type of motivation they needed to chase their dreams of being in the NBA one day. One thing is for certain though, this was just as meaningful for Grant as it was for all the campers.
