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New York Knicks Summer Basketball Camp a Hit Once Again
The 17th annual New York Knicks Summer Basketball Camp presented by Zipwayworld.com and Gatorade kicked off at Pace University in Westchester on July 21, with a special four-day session dedicated to improving shooting skills. The summer of 2008 will also focus on individual skills sessions emphasizing offense, defense and game fundamentals. Over 150 boys and girls took part in an intensive, yet extremely enjoyable regimen involving drills, games and contests. Although it is open to kids ages 8-18, the campers are divided into three separate divisions; the ACC (8-9), Big East (10-13) and the NBA (14-18). No matter their age, for many, the highlight of the camp was the daily special guest instructors. For the first session, David Lee, Allan Houston, John Starks and Kym Hampton hit the court, taking time to personally interact with each camper. “It’s always a lot of fun to come out to these camps,” said Lee, who presented each camper with his autographed jersey during the session’s award ceremony. “Seeing the look on their faces is what it’s all about, and the Knicks always do a fantastic job.” Over the rest of the summer, Lee, Nate Robinson, Zach Randolph, Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler are all lined up to make camp appearances, along with many others. In its 17th season, the highly-regarded camp is as popular as ever, boasting an impressive 40-percent renewal rate from last year. Nicky Bonura, who is taking part in his fifth camp, says he couldn’t image his summer without spending a week with the Knicks. “I like coming every year because the games and drills we do are a lot of fun,” he said. “Also, we get to meet a lot of players. This week I got to meet David Lee, Allan Houston and John Starks. It’s cool and fun. In his sixth year at Knicks camp, Xavier Lessane, 13, echoed those sentiments, saying he spends the entire school year looking forward to spending his summer not only with his hardwood heroes, but the close friends he’s made over the years. “I see the same faces here every year because we all enjoy it,” he said. “I always see them the first day of camp, and it doesn’t feel like it’s been a year since we last all played together.” In addition to getting to play ball with his friends, Xavier said he sees drastic improvements in his game year after year, simply by applying the lessons learned each summer. “My shot is better, and my ball-handle is a whole lot better too,” he said. “The good thing about the camp is that its easy to practice the drills by yourself during the year.” On the final day, an awards are handed out to campers for both individual and team achievements for awards such as MVP, most improved player and hustle award, among others. To see a complete list of this summer’s winners, see below. Click here for more information about enrolling in future New York Knicks Summer Basketball Camp presented by Zipwayworld.com and Gatorade sessions in August. Future sessions will be held in Manhattan and on Long Island.
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