With the blessing of camp founder and long-time director Sonny Vaccaro, adidas and its longtime endorser Tracy McGrady brought back the renowned ABCD Camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Over 40 prospects in all high school classes extended their grassroots season while stakeholders aware of the camp’s prestigious history hope to bring some of its enduring traits back to life for the next generation of basketball stars.
NBA Hall of Famer and current NBC Sports analyst Tracy McGrady has been endorsing adidas basketball products since he was 18 years old when he signed a $12 million dollar deal with the shoe company giant around the time he decided to skip college basketball and enter the 1997 NBA Draft. The Mt. Zion Christian (Durham, N.C.) via Auburndale, Fla., product is also the poster child for using a credible grassroots event such as Sonny Vaccaro‘s ABCD Camp to springboard from unknown prospect to the top of the class.
For McGrady that moment came in July 1996; the camp literally changed his life and in the years since he’s never let Vaccaro forget it. McGrady was No. 5 in the camp in scoring (16.5 ppg), tied with Lamar Odom (the talented New York City player who McGrady had heard about coming in and matched up with in his first camp game) at No. 3 in rebounding (7.8 rpg), No. 2 in steals (2.1) and No. 1 in blocked shots (2.1). After entering the camp unranked by everyone and unknown to anyone outside Auburndale High in Florida and playing in his first exposure event, McGrady simply was the best player in a talented camp from start to finish.
Vaccaro’s camp went on for another ten years before he decided it was time to move on from the summer grassroots ecosystem and campaign to give young athletes an even greater opportunity: to be fairly compensated for the rights to their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
McGrady worked with adidas (which sponsored the camp from 1994 to 2003) to bring the ABCD Camp to Phoenix, where approximately 45 players in various classes got quality on-court instruction from former NBA players and off-court insight on NIL/branding, financial literacy, media training/101, mental health and physical recovery information, and biometrics testing.
After all, ABCD stands for “Academic Betterment and Career Development”.
Vaccaro renamed it ABCD Camp after taking ownership of the Athletes For Better Education (AFBE) Camp from Northwestern University English professor Arthur “Chick” Sherrer in 1983 when the marketing executive wanted Nike to sponsor it with apparel. Ironically, Vaccaro wanted to make the camp a Nike property but the shoe company giant’s legal team didn’t want the company to own the camp’s liability. After its books were opened up, Vaccaro found out the AFBE Camp was in debt. Nike paid that debt off and Vaccaro was off and running for the next 22 years with various sponsors.
What ABCD Means To Its Alumni
One thing that was clearly a plus for the re-birth was the amount of ABCD Camp alumni in attendance and former pro players working with the campers on drills and other on-court instruction. One of the most vocal and noticeable alums, one who looked like he could play NBA minute right now, was Jerry Stackhouse, who played at ABCD Camp as a rising junior in 1991 in the last year Nike was the sponsor before the company and Vaccaro had its infamous split.
“I wanted to play because guys like Chris Webber and Juwan Howard went and I wanted to, too,” Stackhouse said.
Another alumnus actually had a son who participated in this year’s camp and he actually wasn’t working. He was just being “dad”. That was former four-time NBA all-star and Boston Celtics playoff hero Rajon Rondo. The Louisville, Ky., native participated in the camp in 2003, the final year it was under the Adidas’ umbrella during its first run.
Rondo was on hand checking out his son 14-year old Pierre Rondo, a 5-foot-11 2030 (freshman) at North Oldham (Goshen, Ky.). Rondo had fond memories of the camp and also talked about what he hoped his son got out of the three-day camp experience.
“I remember the amount of pressure I put on myself to perform and to try to show out,” Rondo said. “I knew it was the camp LeBron [James] went to, I knew Sebastian [Telfair] was going to be there and Dwight Howard and all these guys with big names. We heard about it through magazines and on the AAU circuit; It was definitely the biggest camp I ever went to.
“As far as my son goes, I want him to embrace playing the best competition possible. It’s a great opportunity to be around and coached by NBA players.”
The Vision For ABCD
Vaccaro commented on what he envisions the second run of camp will look like.
“I think it will be a life experience for participants and I think it’s going to make the cut,” the 86-year old grassroots czar said while taking in camp games on Friday evening. “What sponsors and coaches and others involved have to understand is what makes everything is the player. The players shouldn’t be obligated to play only for a certain circuit. It’s about control and quite frankly that’s why I left [the camp space] to fight for player’s rights.”
On Thursday Vaccaro and McGrady spoke to the campers in a formal meet and greet session.
After all, for the kids this was a camp sponsored by adidas their coaches told them would be an excellent opportunity, given the camp’s history and the enthusiasm of T-Mac to get it back off the ground. None of the kids were born when the camp ended in 2006 after a 22-year run and some were not around yet with McGrady retired in 2013. It was important for them to get some context of Vaccaro’s background and McGrady’s story and vision for the event moving forward.
McGrady told the campers he hopes the camp is around for the next 20 years after being shelved for 20 years. Vaccaro has had plenty of opportunity to sell the rights to the camp or revive the camp brand with a sponsor, but it took a special relationship with a former camper like McGrady to want to make it happen. The man who pioneered grassroots sports marketing would only agree to do it with a former camper who made a lasting impact on his life.
Both men were trying to get the campers to understand what took place in those five minutes (when T-Mac ended the 1996 camp with an emphatic windmill dunk that sent the gym at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey into a literal frenzy) and that everything can change in a minute.
“He’s my mentor and has had a huge impact on in my life,” McGrady said. “He changed my life overnight. Everyone wants a chance, everyone wants someone to believe in them. That’s how I live my life.”
The Future Is Now
After NBA Player Development Coach Phil Beckner led the on-court instruction, the campers jumped into games and youth was served, so to speak. Rondo was one of four 2030 prospects and there were 13 2029 (rising sophomore) prospects who took the court. Rondo had his moments, displaying good on-ball defensive ability and unselfishness.
Another 2030 who stood out with his ability and skill level was 6-foot-3 guard Omar Muhammad of Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.). Muhammad clearly doesn’t lack confidence and has the desire to learn and get better.
Another 2030 with game beyond his years is 6-foot-7 wing D.J. Parker of Duncanville (Texas). Parker made terrific on-ball plays and displayed a nice pull up jumper. His on-court approach and demeanor also was a difference-maker against players two and three years Parker’s elder.
One of the most impactful players in camp, regardless of class, was 6-foot-7 2029 wing R.J. Evans of Academy of Central Florida (Orlando, Fla.). Evans is a confident play-maker who is an easy study. Combine that with his natural ability and knack for scoring and you have one of the most dynamic play-makers in the country, regardless of class.
Evans was one of the top scorers on the 3SSB 17U circuit playing for Austin Rivers Elite and was arguably the most productive player during the first set of camp games. Evans was scoring from a variety of spots on the floor and used his uncanny ability to cover ground on drives to convert at the rim to help his camp team close out a hotly-contested game.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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