By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Photo: Dorothy J. Gentry
Indiana Pacers star Myles Turner, a Bedford native who attended Euless Trinity High School, will hold a co-ed youth basketball camp this weekend, Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st at Drive Nation Sports in Dallas.
The two-day camp is open to boys and girls and consists of two sessions grades 1-6 and grades 7-12. Campers will learn various basketball skills and fundamentals of shooting, ball-handling, rebounding and more from Turner and his camp staff. There will also be prizes, snacks, and possible guest appearances. Camp admission is $150 and scholarships are available. For more information scan the QR Code on the photo or visit https://mylesturnerbasketball.com/myles-turner-2022-summer-basketball-camp/.
Q&A with Turner:
TMN: How did you begin this camp?
MT: I started this camp my rookie year going into my second year. I was very excited to bring it back to my hometown. Where we are from, Texas is a big football state. I wanted to provide a camp for the kids and youth in my area to show them there is a way out besides football. Basketball is obviously my passion and a lot of peoples too. I also wanted it to be a back-to-school camp so it’s right before the kids are going back to school so they can take a lot of that momentum from the camp into their own respective schools, PE classes, team tryouts, etc.
TMN: Tell us about the camp.
MT: “It’s a lot of fun. This is year 3. I did it two years in a row, then I had USA basketball obligations for two years and then the pandemic hit. I’ve had participants go on to Division 1 college; I’ve had return campers. It’s a lot of fun. I am very involved. I am in every drill; I am there the entire time, very hands on. It’s one of the things I pride myself on.
TMN: Why is it important to be involved in giving back to the community?
MT: These kids see us as larger than life. They see us on TV, on social media, etc. so to actually see a 7 footer, NBA player in person at that young an age is very tantalizing. If I am out there encouraging them, and reminding them that ‘hey, I was like you one day,’ then I think that is more endearing to them. To actually do a drill with Myles Turner and compete with Myles Turner in a game, it just hits a little bit different.
TMN: What else can campers expect?
MT: In addition to the basketball portion, we will have panel discussions about different topics. My parents will have a Q&A session with parents about navigation AAU. I will speak with kids about additional opportunities in the NBA. There’s more to basketball than just playing basketball; there’s front office jobs, being a scout, there are other ways to do it where you go to school and get your degree, not just playing.
