No Dunks Allowed

I hope Kelvin Cato was at this camp.

Thursday August 17 7:34 PM ET
No Dunking Allowed at Big Man Camp

By GORDON SAKAMOTO, Associated Press Writer

HONOLULU (AP) - Some of the flashiest dunkers in basketball were at Pete Newell's Big Man Camp last week. Not one was allowed to show his stuff.

The motto of the weeklong camp: Leave your dunks at the door. You're here to work.

The emphasis in the sessions - NBA players in the morning and collegians in the afternoon - focused primarily on foot work. It may sound like a simple task, but some the biggest names in the sport encountered difficulty in mastering the nuances of movement.

Newell, who will soon turn 85, took an active on-the-court role in running the camp for forwards and centers.

``I'm here to introduce you to your feet,'' he told the group at the first get-together. ``This is not about how well you can dunk. It's about moving your feet the right way - to get into position.

``The quality of your shot is going to depend on it. You have to get space between you - the offensive player - and the defensive player. The only way to get it is through your footwork.''

As the session progressed, Newell moved from group to group on the court, demonstrating the proper technique in positioning to receive a pass, spacing and the options available in going to the basket.

``It's all down there,'' he told Austin Croshere of the Indiana Pacers, pointing to his white sneakers. ``Move `em. Get in position. Square up.''

``He teaches you the basics you have to have,'' a sweat-drenched Croshere said after the workout. ``It's not how strong or athletic you are. If you don't have proper footwork, it'll be hard to score.''

More often than not, Newell noted, the frontcourt player is not the focal point in the offense at the college level. With the emphasis on flex and motion offenses, the role of the big man is primarily to screen.

However, it's another story at the professional level.

``In the NBA, especially with the 24-second clock, the big man has to play a lot of isolation basketball,'' Newell said. ``It's 90 percent feet and 10 percent ball.''

The camp is a refresher for the pros, but for the collegians, including overall No. 1 draft pick Kenyon Martin, it's also a lesson in transition from playing facing the basket to playing with backs to the hoop.

``We want to help the younger players with what changes to expect when they move up to the NBA,'' Newell said. ``What the NBA is all about - playing against players with equal skills in every game, the 24-second clock and things like that.''

He emphasizes to the players that there will be no full-court games and, again, reminds them of the no dunking rule.

``We'll do one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three,'' he said. ``That's it. Again, the emphasis will be on footwork - strengthening the less-dominant leg - spacing, recognizing defenses. Those kind of things.''

As an example of the frontline being the springboard to the offense in the pros, Newell said, ``Of the top 20 centers, you'll probably find that about 15 were born outside this country. That can't be disputed. That's how they play the game over there.''

The drills Newell has used in the 23 years of the camp are not easy.

And if they aren't done precisely, the players repeat the drill. Those who struggle are pulled from the group and given individual attention.

``That's not surprising because a lot of the things we do (at the camp) are not done too much today,'' Newell said of the repetitive drills.

And despite a lifelong career in basketball as a player, coach, administrator and teacher, Newell admits he is still learning.

``I know I'm a better teacher than before,'' he said. ``Like anything else, since I keep doing it year after year, I think I've gotten better at it.

``But I still learn a lot of things from the players. Even if you've been in this game a long time, there are certain things you don't know. You just keep going, just like the players do.''

The pros were sent by their teams, while the college players - with permission from their coaches - had to apply for a spot in the camp.

That says a lot about Newell's camp, considering a lot of coaches don't like others instructing their players.

``We assume if they're here, it's because they want to be here,'' he said.

``I don't want any player who is here just because their coach said you got to go.''

The Big Man Camp got its start 23 years ago in California when Kermit Washington, then with the Los Angeles Lakers, asked for help in developing his skills. The camp was moved to Hawaii seven years ago.


------------------
In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things:
1. Don't tell everything you know.