Credit: Courtesy

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will hold its annual Top 100 elite youth camp in Rock Hill, S.C. June 9-13. Now in its 31st year, top high school sophomores and juniors from around the country, as well as international players, participate in several days of skill development, instruction, and related activities.  

Christopher Jean Credit: LinkedIn

“It is very important for us to get the best of the best,” Christopher Jean, NBPA THINK450 associate vice president of business development and basketball activation, told the MSR last week via Zoom.   

This year the NBPA introduced a new system for inviting participants, including nominations from elite youth basketball circuits, and using evaluations from 25 top scouts to vote and rank nominees. “We have a lot of folk nominating kids…the right kids and diamonds in the rough,” added Jean.  

Former campers and current NBA players include the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, “and a host of others,” said Jean.  

Also new this year is a camp director. Phil Handy, who recently coached in the first year of the Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league and is a longtime NBA assistant coach, will serve in that capacity. Other elements at the camp include an NBPA Coaching Program for participating NBA players; legendary coaches like Tubby Smith and Phil Martelli as instructors; an NBPA Parent Program; and educational sessions on such topics as NIL, mental health and wellness, and financial literacy.

“It’s one thing to make them better on the court, but also make them better off the court as well,” stressed Jean, who added that each camper at the conclusion of the camp will receive a report card and “real time feedback from their coaches.” 

Rock Hill Sports and Events Center is the campsite for the first time. “We want to make sure we use every inch of the facility,” Jean declared of the state-of-the-art camp.  

The NBPA is the NBA players union, and THINK450 is the group’s licensing and partnership engine.

Gopher 100 update

There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the school year and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gopher honorees

Anthonett Nabwe (center on podium) Credit: Gopher Athletics

 Anthonett Nabwe, a Liberian native who came to North Dakota before her high school freshman year, is one of the country’s best throwers. The redshirt sophomore last weekend was among 39 Minnesota athletes who competed in the 2005 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field First Round May 29-31 at Texas A&M University.  

Nabwe came into the field events 19th in the shot put, 6th in the discus and 4th in the hammer throw.  She was ranked first in both the hammer throw and the discus, and seventh in the shot put at the 2025 Big Ten Championships.

Breezy Burnett Credit: Charles Hallman

“I’m still striving for more,” said Nabwe earlier this year to the MSR, “because I’m trying to make it to the [2028] Olympics, get on the big stage. The more nervous I am, the better I tend to perform, because that gives me more of a push instead of if I’m too laid back, I don’t really perform like I’m supposed to.”

Junior Breezy Burnett was among five Gopher softball players named last week to the College Sports Communicators 2025 Academic All-District Team. She was a 2024 Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

The Florida native started all 50 games for Minnesota this year and led the team with three triples, second with two stolen bases, and third with 24 RBI. 

“I still got next year, so I’m excited to keep chipping away,” said Burnett. “School is really good.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.

Your Might Also Like