Kids participating in the Camana Bay NBA Basketball Camp were treated with a visit on Friday, 26 July, from San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley, who offered motivation and inspiration to aspiring ballers.
“It was really cool; he’s just really good and, yeah, I liked meeting him,” Caio Martin Silva, one of the young players, told the Compass.
Martin Silva was one of more than 84 participants, ranging from ages 7-17, in the Camana Bay camp this year. He noted that he learned how to do a lay-up, in addition to receiving a life tip.
“His advice was to stay positive,” Martin Silva said.
Wesley, a first-round pick of the 2022 NBA draft by the Spurs, takes pride in his work off the court, noting to the Compass that giving back to the younger generation is more important than hooping at the highest level.
“I’m just trying to motivate them to be the best player they can be,” Wesley said. “I was telling them about my life on and off the court. It’s not just about basketball, it’s about what you do off the court, helping people, motivating people.”
Another young man who heard Wesley’s message at the camp was 12-year-old Byron Ebanks, whose dream is to be a professional basketball player in the NBA.
“From the time I started playing I just wanted to get better and better and then make it to the league,” Ebanks said, noting that he began playing basketball nearly two years ago, and he met Wesley’s teammate Jeremy Sochan at last year’s camp.
Ebanks said, as well as giving tips for game play, Wesley also explained the importance of diet.
“He was telling us about his daily routine and what we should do to make it to the NBA,” Ebanks said. “[He] told us how much hours you have to put in and his nutrition.”
Ebanks went on to say that he plays the latest basketball 2K video game – one that Wesley features in – and said he will be looking out for Wesley’s character when he plays the game again.
Wesley noted that his experience in Cayman since arriving on Thursday, 25 July, has been great, adding that the kids at camp welcoming him was icing on the cake.
“Everybody was happy to be here, happy to see me and I was happy to be here,” he said. “It’s very special to give back to the community and I loved being here, it was great.”
The NBA and Dart recently announced an extended partnership to develop young athletes. As part of the collaboration, Dart will host Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA week in November, featuring events including clinics, 3-on-3 tournaments and skills challenges.
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