Antwan Jamison Provides ‘A Better Tomorrow’ For Inner City Youth
Written/Interviewed by: Vena Vaughn
Hoop Dreams are a reality for many inner city youth…all with the same passion for basketball and dreams of making it to the NBA. Antwan Jamison knows exactly how these young boys feel because he was once in their shoes, which is why every year he hosts a basketball camp through his charity A Better Tomorrow. The camp teaches these young boys not only the importance of technique and skill, but hard work and perseverance. Over 200 young boys all starry-eyed and energetic as they run up and down the court wearing the same #4 jersey with Jamison stitched across their backs. As they listen intently to their coaches’ instructions some going strong to the basket while others just happy to be in the presence of Jamison; each of them wanting to make an impression as he cheers from the sidelines. As Jamison looks on, he is a natural, as if he were meant to do this; the NBA is his dream come true, but A Better Tomorrow is his purpose.
CPM: Everyone knows you as a NBA all-star on the court, but to the community you are an all-star off the court. Tell us about the inspiration for A Better Tomorrow.
I think for me to have gotten into this position it would not have been if it weren’t for people helping me along the way, whether it’s my parents, high school teachers or neighbors in the neighborhood. Knowing that I’m in a situation where I can help so many others that are really in need and I can really make a difference. Also I just think being a professional athlete it’s your job to be a positive role model. A lot of it is realizing that I had help to get to where I wanted to get to. None of my dreams would have come true without that help. Another part of it is my parents raising me that way and realizing I have a great opportunity to impact people’s lives. Especially kids’ lives whether it’s doing camps, giving back or just spending time with them. Its second nature and I just try to do as much as possible.
CPM: You’ve received numerous awards from the NBA community, assisted Magic Johnson, and built playgrounds (with KaBoom), which is more gratifying on the court or off the court accolades?
I love what I do! My dream was to be a NBA player, but to see the smiles on the kids’ faces, to know their going home excited and it was all because of not just my name but me actually coming out here and spending time. To be able to go into communities of kids who don’t have resources or the opportunity to play and to go help build their playgrounds. Just knowing that kids are going to be playing in that play ground for the next 20 or 30 years…that is more gratifying than hitting a jump shoot or playing the game. When people say he’s a role model and a professional on and off the court, I think that’s probably the greatest compliment I could get. Coach Smith taught me a long time ago it’s not just about basketball, but what you do off the court as well that make you successful. I definitely get more gratification for things I do off the court rather than I do on the court.
CPM: What are some of the current community initiatives or business endeavors you’re working on?
We do a lot of “KaBoom” as far as building playgrounds. Every year, around Thanksgiving, we do a shoe drive and give out turkeys and coats to the homeless. Livis (President of 4ourfans) and I just brainstorm on different opportunities we haven’t touched yet. Whether it’s giving school supplies to the communities that really need it or this year we want to do a book bag drive for the school year. I think we really focus on the kids, trying to empower them and doing as many positive things as we can to affect them. But we also want to continue to improve different communities. We don’t want to limit ourselves just to one particular thing. It’s not like it’s just building houses, we really want to try to get all aspects and try to touch the young to the old. Livis gets a lot of request from people that need help and things of that nature and we just try and tackle as many issues as possible.
CPM: This is your 6th annual All-Star Basketball Camp; describe the experience from your campers’ perspective.
I think it’s different than a lot of basketball camps. Like today we had kids learning how to do Yoga. We have a lot of guys who are former professional NBA players or guys from Carolina (UNC) that come in and tell them about their experiences. We have a lot of kids who really want to be in the NBA. Yesterday, we had a guy whose experience is with dribbling and he wanted to play (in the NBA) and he let the kids know that his dream didn’t come true but you have to find other avenues as well. We’ll come in and do drills. I think we have a great selection of coaches who explain things well and do things right. One year, and I don’t think I’ll do this again, but we had a doctor come in and predicted the kids’ height and we had a lot of disappointed kids (laughing). I really want them to experience, of course the techniques, how to play as a team and the whole basketball form but also let them experience different things. Learning Yoga and how it’s impacted me as an athlete, having positive people come in and speak to them whether it’s about basketball or life outside of basketball. Just broadening their horizons a little bit; not just making it a typical come and play basketball all day. I think the kids enjoy it and when they go home I hear the parents say they were tired and they went straight to bed so that’s good for the parents.
And one way I know its successful is we get the same kids coming back. I remember the kids from day one…six years ago and their still here. Just to see their growth, not only as a better basketball player, but as a better kid. Before “yes sir” and “no sir” was even in their vocabulary, so the most gratifying thing is to see that growth. But in general just to know they had a great time and that these three days really impacted their summer. They can have these memories for years and I think that’s what not only myself but everybody here from the camp is trying to do.
CPM: While observing the camp, I heard one little boy say, “I’m not going home, I’m just gonna stay here ‘til next summer.” How does that make you feel?
(Laughing) Yeah, that’s good! A lot of it has to do with as a kid I never had the opportunity to come to a professional athlete’s camp. These kids look up to you and you could never imagine the feeling; just to see me interacting with them and us having a normal conversation that goes a long way. I think these kids no matter what we teach them about their attitude and how to play as a team it kind of sinks in. We actually beat it into their heads, this is how I learned how to play and I’ve been successful in doing it and there’s no difference as far as you learning how to do the same thing.
CPM: In the midst of the NBA lockout, is your focus more on your community initiatives or basketball?
It’s still both. I’m treating this summer like any other summer. I still go out in the community. I’m still preparing myself for the season and training camp to start in October. If that doesn’t happen, then I will still have to find a way to keep in shape. But that gives me an opportunity to be more hands-on when I’m normally away in September-November. Hopefully it’s not, but if it is a long lockout, I’ll get the opportunity to spend more time with the kids and also do more in the community.
CPM: What are some of your favorite words of motivation for those young boys with hoop dreams of being a NBA star like yourself?
I tell them all the time with me growing up it was always, “You’re not good enough for this” or “You’re not smart enough in school to make it to college and graduate”. And when I made it to college, it was “You’re too short to play this position”. There was always negative things coming my way; I try to tell these kids you’re going to have people who are gonna tell you, “You’re not smart enough”, “You’re not tall enough” and “You’re not talented enough”; but the most important thing is you have to believe in yourself, surround yourself around positive people who are gonna uplift you and point you in the right direction. If I would’ve paid attention to any of that, I might not have made it or accomplished a lot of the things I’ve accomplished. The first thing I definitely tell them is always believe in yourself and whatever you put your mind to, you can accomplish it. You have to have a great work ethic, because you got millions and millions of kids who have the same dreams you want to accomplish. So you have to have a good work ethic, you have to believe in yourself and listen to your mom and dad. The parents get a kick out of that, but although I didn’t understand where my mom and dad were coming from, I did listen and it made a difference. I’m still doing those same things with my kids and they don’t understand it, but hopefully they’ll listen. I just really teach them family first, believe in yourself and you gotta work hard at what you want to accomplish.
For More Information:
