11:05 AM, July 18th. Anthony Davis doesn’t just enter The Mamba Academy building located 20 miles north of LA. He glides across its floor, black and gold Kobe 5 sleds on feet. You imagine maybe he’s also playing hockey for the LA Kings too?
AD can’t just be just that new NBA All Star in LA. For us Angelinos, we seem to pin our hopes on him, wishing he, LeBron, and Kuz will walk on water a lil, pull another parade out of their Staples Center hat.
11:10 AM. I’m at the juice stand and anything that was in peoples’ hands, like paper cups, wrappers, water bottles, fall to the gravity of AD coming in.
iPhones recording, people clamoring to gawk, trying to take a photo of The Man and his 6-10 sculpted frame. Basically all the ants in the building have just smelled the sugar, AD that granulated cube walking in on two legs toward the main court.
He greets and offers a bro-hug to George Quintero, who directs The Mamba, Kobe’s house.
I’m saying to myself, “Dang, E-Woods, I wish I had been invited to such a profound camp as a teenager in 1989.
Instead, me a lil immature back then, I had other things on my mind. On my pre-iTunes play-list I was listening to Luke Skywalker and 2 Live Crew, getting down to fun songs by the group.
How hyped are all the campers swirling around me to hear AD talk? Are they on 1? Nope, insane energy abounds as the kids are mos def on 10.
AD steps under the rim, speaking to all 80 kids. He’s just steps away from them, close, meaningful, all the kids jaws have dropped, eyes locked in.
AD’s tone is dripping with conviction as he tells them, “I love this game. It deserves that you pay homage to where you came from. Me, I’m from the Southside of Chicago, growing up in the city that produced many great ballers. Isaiah Thomas and so many with heart. It’s the Mecca of hoop.”
AD shows them his tattoo on his right arm emblazoned with a simple and elegant script reading, “Chicago.” I noticed that the “i “ in the city’s spelling also serves as a candle, the city lit him aflame.
All of us noticed the face adorning AD’s right shoulder, dedicated to his dope and caring grandfather, Lamont Eberhardt. I hear he was a gentle soul, would carry in groceries for neighbors too frail to do it themselves.
Me, I already researched on nba.com that AD and Lamont were very close. AD drew inspiration from his mom’s father who believed in him so much they’d call each other “Champ.”
So when Lamont passed away a few years ago, AD had Lamont’s face permanently inked on his arm, a profound gesture of respect with the words saying around the face, “Rest Up Champ.”
I’ll let AD explain, “My grandfather meant a lot to me. I looked up to him. He was a huge Kobe Bryant fan. Every day I would go to his house and we would just talk basketball. He always pushed me.
“He always talked about Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. He always wanted to make me go out there and – I don’t want to say be better – but do some of the same things [Kobe] did.”
You can tell AD really loves being around kids. He’s so engaged and alive with them. AD helps run a game of “knock out” for the campers, they’re all lined up shooting. How dope is that?
Recently my guy Skyy Clark, a soph prep phenom guard who plays with Bronny James on their Strive for Greatness AAU squad, Skyy had just made the game winner. LeBron James was jumping for joy for Skyy and Bron gave Skyy an epic chest bump, shouting, “Yes, Skyy, you did it!”
Just making his day so unforgettable, a moment for the ages AD? He treated all the kids like LeBron treated Skyy that day, because AD is a real one, no doubt.
AD at the camp? Great guy who speaks knowledge to power to the kids. You could feel his sense of urgency when he gave them them this advice, “Feel your defender when you’re setting up in the post, just shoot your shot.”
A camper shouted out to AD, “What if I miss?” AD said, “There’s no point in getting down on yourself. If you miss you have to keep taking that shot. Don’t feel any fear, never give up on yourself. The best players ever in our game, like Kobe and Lebron, they never got down after missing a shot. Visualize it, and be about it.”
#Preach it AD
I also loved seeing that AD holds kids accountable, to act proper. AD don’t play with that. If you’re a camper acting obnoxious, being ignorant, he’ll tell you what’s up.
I remember in the middle of his talk, sitting next to all the kids, an 11 year old kid next to me just kept giggling and snorting for no reason, acting a fool fosho. AD stopped talking and looked this kid dead in his eye, because he cares.
Not quite the Kobe death stare, but he tried to get the kid to focus, be the best version of himself. AD said, “Do you have something to say buddy? If you’re done, then let’s get on and focus.”
I tried at the break to gently reinforce the advice AD gave the lil man, telling him, “Hi kid, I’ve been a teacher the last 20 years, writing is my side-hustle, so take my advice. You just made ‘The Brow’ raise his brow at you. Try to appreciate the moment, you don’t get to hear AD speak at a camp everyday bro.”
Giving him a high five, I think he kid got it.
It’s funny, because when I reminded the kid to be respectful, a parent was sitting next to me and whispered in my ear, “Dude, if Charles Barkley were talking and the kid tried to clown around, Barkley might’ve just throw his lil a^^ through a plate glass window.” Yikes!
Back to AD’s talk. One camper asked AD if he could do a 360 degree, high flying death-defying windmill dunk. And if so could he do it employing only one step? Dude, my man AD did the deed so easy, like he was grabbing a George Washington dollar bill outta his pocket.
#AD got nasty ups!
Speaking of Georges, George Quintero was speaking the whole time back and forth with AD on the importance of mental preparation. He also had the kids transfixed from giving jewels of advice.
George was being real to them because he cares and he challenged the campers by saying, “Do you want to be great? Then have a relationship with the ball, feel it become one with you, speak to it. Let it give you pride and respect for what you can achieve together, not just on the court, but in life.
“Put time into your craft. One day you might just have a chance to be great like Anthony Davis. Don’t we all hope to see AD play for the Lakers the next 10 years, right guys?” Crazy mad hands started clapping like lil firecrackers. Some of the kids hands turned a lil red from all the friction.
Me, E-Woods, I know that George Quintero is that special dude to kids. G founded The Cal Storm AAU and Team Taurasi program, he dedicated his whole life to fostering greatness in kids playing for the program.
His players love him, more than any other coach I’ve ever, ever thought possible. How so? I’ll give you an example you probably never thought possible.
What’s the highest award a prep baller can attain? Making the McDonald's All American game, right? They only give out one jersey for playing in that game. Getting that jersey is big-time to a baller. Imagine how special a coach must be for a kid to appreciate them enough to give up that jersey to him.
Crazy part? Four of George’s former players did just that, gave their Mickey D’s jersey to him, their way of saying, thanks, I love you coach.
Who did this? WNBA All Star Chelsea Gray gave hers to George, so did All American Kendall Cooper, Leaonna Odom, Lyssi Brewer. George appreciates having coached 12 kids that earned that Big Mac designation. He’s always telling me what an honor it is to coach kids.
AD’s camp? Must be the best camp I’ve ever been to. I’ve had 20 years of covering elite events and camps. MJ’s people brought me into cover his Flight Camp at UCSB., 100’s of camps.
Each camp I attend, I always feet the responsibility to remind the campers to respect any remarkable counselors that are trying to put it down for them. Like in 2004 I told the kids to respect Chris Paul at MJ’s camp. He’s not just a PG god from Wake Forest, he’s like a mini Magic Johnson in the making.
But the counselors at this Mamba camp? If they sucked, I’d keep it real. But these counselors just blew me away.
Like who? Like Sierra Canyon’s Vanessa De Jesus, point god who just won a state chip and is now committed to play at Duke. I told the campers, listen to her, she knows what’s up big-time.
I bore witness to a breathtaking 8th grade baller, Ashley Chea, who must be the youngest kid to ever make Team Taurasi. And yet she’s already a freaking CAMP COUNSELOR. Her game? Cold, sub zero cold.
A-Chea reminds me of legendary street baller Bone Collector. My man Bone, he once told me he how blessed he was that Kyrie Irving came up to him and said thanks BC, in middle school you inspired me to dribble, just from seeing you at The Ruckers.
#crazy mad props
Ashley Chea? She got it like Bone, K-Irving, Kenny Anderson, Brandon Jennings. I don’t have the words to describe how she impresses me. She wants to be a future doctor. Best part about Ashley? Girl not full of herself or conceited, she could be the most humble baller I ever met, all going down at The Mamba camp.
You the reader at this point might be like, E-Woods, why you flipping me bad gas, Ashley can’t be that good bro. No gas here partner, click on the Pass Tha Ball link below. I put it on my mamma, Ashley gotta be the best rising 9th grade PG, pounding that rock, in all of the land.
Which other counselor impressed me? Rising senior Kimberly Villalobos of Chaminade High, she’s more than just a monster D1 talent.
I heard this one camper, a girl like age 10 in Kim’s shooting line saying, “I love Coach Kimberly, she’s so caring, skilled, and amazing. I wish she were my mom.”
Camp counselor and former D1 baller Dee Pinkard summed it up great on AD, about what the campers learned, “They learned from a pro, what effort it takes to be a pro.”
Mayghen Thornton was a camper and did a demo with AD in front of everyone. Imagine how nervous she must’ve been? I asked her how it felt and she said, “It was a big moment. Being next to Anthony Davis is like being next to the NBA.”
I asked myself, what does AD mean to LA? My guy Pooh Jeter who balled for the Sac-Kings told me, “LA creates endless dreams. Being a pro in LA means you’re fam with the city.”
Pooh’s words inspired me so I went up to AD and said, “You’re fam now with the city AD. Take this artwork; my daughter Giselle drew these What Kobe shoes for you as our welcoming gift, from all of us in LA to you AD.”
AD looks me in the eye and says, “Giselle’s art is niiiice, means a lot to me E-Woods, thanks.”
That Chicago script I mentioned on AD’s arm that is both candle i in Chicago? Each camper went up to AD’s arm that day, took their unlit candle, used his candle to light their fire.
My buddy Greg, he says it’s ironic AD was wearing a blood red Mamba shirt that day. Laker fans will get “savage” and maybe call for AD’s blood if he doesn’t get a chip. I’m like Greg, stop being so cup 1/2 empty dude.
Maybe AD’s blood red Mamba shirt is blood drenched because he, Bron, and Kuz will be 3 Live Crew, get savage themselves and give the whole L a 187, figuratively speaking of course.
We’ll all just have to wait and see, but wins or losses AD showed his heart of a champ at The Mamba Camp, LA’s newest fam, by way of Chicago.
