Bringing People Together Through Basketball

Hosting clinics in large metropolitan areas in Florida, Texas, New York and Illinois is commonplace for USA Basketball.  

But for the first time, USA Basketball hosted clinics in Durham, North Carolina, last weekend. The youth clinics, in a city surrounded by elite college programs and with a community dedicated to the game of basketball, were about more than just playing basketball. 

“We are thrilled to be in Durham for the USA Basketball Foundation-sponsored youth basketball clinic,” Jennifer Lynne Williams, chief development officer for the USA Basketball Foundation, said. “North Carolina, especially the Triangle, has such a rich and storied basketball tradition, and we are honored to pour into the scholar-athletes in attendance. Through the game, we hope to inspire them to pursue excellence not only on the court but even more importantly, in life.” 

Hosted at the Downtown Durham YMCA, kids from the ages 6-17 participated in clinics aimed to refine skills by working on fundamentals. Local USA Basketball licensed coaches led the clinic sessions.  

Broken up into three age groups, the students from across greater Durham not only had the opportunity to participate in the clinics to advance their on-court skills, they also talked with painter, illustrator and author Kadir Nelson, who hosted a signing for his new book Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game.  

“It’s also incredibly special to have award-winning author and artist Kadir Nelson, along with local McDonald’s owner Gaffney Gunter, support our efforts by providing copies of the book Basket Ball and food vouchers for all attendees,” Williams said. 

Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game tells the history of the game of basketball and the evolution of the sport since its creation in 1891. Nelson does so through powerful illustrations that complement the retelling of history and evolution of basketball along with profiles of and quotes from notable figures to both inform and inspire the next generation of basketball players. 

Nelson’s book and giveaway at the Durham Youth Clinic prove that basketball transcends what players do on the court.  

In addition to understanding the Xs and Os , the giveaway emphasized how paramount it is for students to take pride in how they carry themselves on and off the court and in the classroom.  

For a creator like Nelson, the giveaway provided him and the USA Basketball Foundation an opportunity to show that it’s possible and encouraged for everyone, no matter their age, to express their passions through whatever medium they desire. For Nelson, that expression is through art and basketball. 

“My book Basket Ball is a celebration of the sport, art and literature, and this event was an incredible opportunity to get kids excited about playing the game and activate their minds by reading about the sport and its history,” Nelson said. 

The partnership with Nelson, orchestrated by the USA Basketball Foundation, was one of multiple partnerships with the Durham community to express that basketball is more than just what is done on the court. The USA Basketball Foundation also partnered with Duke Children’s Hospital and the Scheyer Family Kid’s Captain Program to deliver copies of Basket Ball and USA Basketball swag bags to children in the hospital. 

The clinic and the hospital visit all demonstrate how important basketball is to bring communities together and build up the next generation through the sport. 

The visit to Duke Children’s Hospital showed the impact basketball can have both on and off the court. While some kids had the opportunity to compete in the clinics and work on their fundamentals, the purpose of going to the hospital was to give similar opportunities to those kids who weren’t able to participate in the clinics.  

To learn more about the USA Basketball Foundation’s mission, visit usabfoundation.org.