SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) — In honor of “World Basketball Day’ on Sunday, the Basketball Hall of Fame held a special youth basketball clinic in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Springfield.
The event welcomed local students to participate in training drills and learn the fundamentals of basketball.
The Marketing and PR Manager of the Hall of Fame, Kiana Lowe, says, “The clinic is mostly sponsored by the NBA. So, we are focusing on young kids from sixth grade and under…Just learning the fundamentals of basketball. What basketball is about. What it takes to be a basketball player…The commitment, determination, and also the camaraderie that comes with basketball… Basketball is a team sport for a reason. And we really wanted to highlight that today.”
The event also had an appearance from special guest former NBA Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams who had some words of advice for kids who dream of a future in basketball.
Carter-Williams says, “Yeah, I mean, just, you know, work hard. Be a good person, right? Try to be the healthiest person you could possibly be… And just chase your dreams, right? Never let anyone deter that… If you want to do something, you know, practice it every day and don’t let anyone tell you differently.”
This year’s World Basketball Day celebration also coincided with the 175th anniversary of the YMCA, the organization where the game of basketball was originally introduced in 1891.
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