The Camana Bay Basketball Camp wrapped up its annual summer camp on 1 Aug. with a special visit from National Basketball Association Utah Jazz forward Kenyon ‘KJ’ Martin Jr.
The camp, a collaboration between Dart and the NBA, provided a week of intensive training and skill development under the guidance of four American basketball coaches, including Phillip Calvert, an international coach renowned for his work with the Jr. NBA.
Calvert described the week as “smooth sailing” despite the long hours with a large number of campers.
He and his team of American coaches implemented an “American basketball style”, focusing on fundamentals and instilling crucial core values.
“Every day we had a word of the day,” Calvert explained, listing teammate, focus, effort, resilience and gratitude as the guiding principles for the week.
For Martin, the experience was a rewarding one.
“It was fun. My soft spot is always with kids,” he said, reflecting on his time at the camp.
He emphasised the unique opportunity for the campers to interact with an NBA player in person.
“It’s different. Obviously, I play in the NBA [and they] see us on TV and stuff, but actually seeing me in person and being able to touch me and play basketball [with me], it’s different. So that was super fun,” he said.
The curriculum featured a dynamic blend of drills and games, designed to push the players and expose them to the demands of a higher level of play.
Martin played five-on-five with the participants, sometimes letting them score, but other times making it difficult, “so they can see the difficulty, and what level they need to get to to get to the highest level”, Martin said.
The camp, hosted from 28 July to 1 Aug., was split into two daily sessions to cater to different age groups and skill levels.
Calvert noted that the older kids in the afternoon session learned more about “what it takes to be gritty and grindy in defence”, while the younger participants focused on shooting, working hard and having fun.
When speaking about the younger group, Calvert highlighted the camp’s approach to the younger demographic, saying, “We’re just trying to make them love the game and have fun.”
Both Martin and Calvert saw promising talent among the participants with Martin expressing he was particularly impressed with the female players.
“They’re going to be good, for sure,” he stated, acknowledging that in the short time that he had with them, “they showed me that they actually understand how to play basketball”.
Martin said he encouraged them during the camp, telling them, “Just stay at it, and one day your dreams will come true.”
Calvert believes the Cayman players have potential to excel in the sport and just need to “want it more”.
“I think the countries that are great at basketball want it more. They see the opportunity of it changing their lives, so the [Cayman players] have to see what basketball can do for them, and then they’ll be better players. They’ll want it more and they’ll take it more serious,” Calvert said.
Reflecting on the size of the Cayman Islands and whether athletes from a small country can make it far in the sport, Martin drew from the experiences of other NBA players like Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon and Deandre Ayton, who hail from the Bahamas.
“There are guys that come from places where it’s not common, but it is possible,” he said.
“Just work every day and try as hard as you can to be better.”
Taking a different angle on the sport, Martin reminded young aspiring Cayman basketball players that even at the highest level, basketball is still a job that must be taken as seriously as any other profession.
He drew a parallel between his career and those of a doctor or a lawyer, emphasising that hard work is the key to success regardless of the field.
He concluded his advice, saying, “Every day, just try as hard as you can to be better and regardless, if basketball doesn’t work out for you, whatever you choose in life, work as hard as you possibly can, and you can live the results.”
