Mavs rookie Jaden Hardy gives free youth camp in North Dallas

The day after the Dallas Mavericks negotiated a draft day trade with the Sacramento Kings to secure the rights to guard Jaden Hardy in June, Hardy and his camp strategically started putting the wheels in motion to host a basketball camp in North Texas.

That strategy came to fruition Saturday when the rookie from the NBA G League’s Ignite held a free camp for over 100 third-eighth grade boys and girls at the Shelton School in North Dallas.

“The reason I wanted to do this camp is I wanted to give back to the community, and give back to these kids,” Hardy told Mavs.com in an exclusive interview. “Growing up, for me, I used to go to basketball camps like this and I feel like it’s very important for me to do the same thing.

“I just wanted to give these kids a chance to talk to me and give them advice. And I want to teach them the basic fundamentals of basketball and have fun.”

As a youngster growing up in Detroit, Hardy attended basketball camps help by Detroit Pistons players Rasheed Wallace, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Greg Kelser and Lindsey Hunter, and also by former Mavs guard Trey Burke, who played his college basketball at the University of Michigan.

Hardy’s older brother (Amauri) and their father (Ramsey) helped work Saturday’s camp. Ramsey Hardy knows the value of having NBA players on hand to give young kids some insights about the game of basketball.

“If (being a pro basketball player is) something they aspire to be, the more work you put in the better the results, especially if you keep at it and you’re dedicated to it,” Ramsey Hardy said. “If that’s your dream, go after it.

“Jaden’s been in camps every summer all the way up until he went to high school. I think it’s a blessing to come to a new community, meet new people, meet new faces and for me and my sons to be an impact on kid’s life.”

Jordyn LaCour, 13, definitely believes Jaden Hardy had an impact on her life Saturday with the knowledge he was able to share with her and the other campers.

“I think he’s a really cool guy,” LaCour said. “I learned how to use my skills in a better way, and how to kind of move faster.”

LaCour and 10 of her teammates from the Top Achievers seventh and eight grade Lady Sparks all attended Hardy’s camp.

“I think it’s good, so I can hang out with all my friends,” LaCour said. “I think it makes the camp a better experience.”

Through a partnership with Plano-based Top Achievers Foundation, Jaden Hardy made a commitment to mentor young athletes. Lawrence Mann, the executive director and founder of the Top Achievers Foundation, grew up on the same street in Detroit as Jaden Hardy’s father and has been a long-time and trusted family friend.

Jaden Hardy, in fact, joined other athletes and the Top Achievers Foundation students on a Zoom call two years ago to help keep the kids engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

When the Mavs traded for Hardy, Mann was overjoyed and immediately told Hardy: “I said, ‘What do you want to accomplish while you’re here, because you can’t just come and just play ball? You’ve got to get involved. That’s what we do.’

“He said, ‘I want to do what Top Achievers is doing. I want to get involved with what you’re doing.’ “

All of that set the proverbial stage for Saturday’s basketball camp, which also was attended by Mavs newcomer JaVale McGee. Also, the fact that Hardy held a free basketball camp for area youths prior to the start of his first NBA training camp speaks volumes about his commitment to the DFW community.

“Jaden has two passions,” Mann said. “Basketball is his passion, and mentorship. We want to continue that and set him up to continue that legacy.”

Ramsey Hardy stressed the importance of his son being in the community spreading joy, lending a helping hand and being supportive to others.

“A lot of kids and a lot of people don’t get to meet NBA players,” Ramsey Hardy said. “I think that’ll be good for the community and for the kids to see somebody they can actually touch and talk to, and even have a mentor.

“I know everybody in life needs somebody that they look up to and be able to talk to. That’s one of the reasons we’re doing this camp. Not only for athletics, but for mentorship, too.”

It’s similar to the mentorship Jaden Hardy received when he was a youngster attending camps hosted by NBA players.

“I used to look up those guys and said that’s where I wanted to be,” the 20-year old Jaden Hardy said. “Listening to them and hearing what they told me when I was younger, I always took it and ran with it, and that’s what helped me get to where I am today.”

Amauri Hardy, a point guard who played for UNLV and Oregon and was the first college player to sign with the G League Ignite last year, believes the Mavs will have a solid contributor in his brother who will be operating in the backcourt alongside superstar Luka Doncic.

“I think you can expect somebody who is going to be a great team member through the ups and downs, and somebody who is going to work hard,” Amauri Hardy said. “He’s going to shoot the ball really well, he’s been working extremely hard to shoot the ball, and I know he’s going out to prove that.

“He’s like, ‘If Luka kicks me that ball, I’m going to knock that three down.’ He wants to be that person for the Mavericks. He wants to prove to himself that he’s a two-way player — that he can play offense and that he can play defense. Just picking up the concepts – he’s definitely been working hard at that. All in all, this is somewhere where he wanted to be and he’s excited and he’s ready to go.”

As the Mavs prepare to open training camp on Tuesday, Mann saw that same excitement expressed through his conversations with Jaden Hardy.

“When I talked to Jaden and I gave him the landscape of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, he doesn’t blink,” Mann said. “He looks you right in the eye, and that just shows me that he’s hungry to get this knowledge.

“I’m excited for him. I think he’s going to do very, very well.”

Meanwhile, as Jaden Hardy reflects on his journey to the NBA, he acknowledged that it all started when he attended his first basketball camp when he was an impressionable four-year old kid. Thus, he has a certain fondness for the kids who attended his camp on Saturday.

“By going to these type of camps, it helped me learn the basic fundamentals of basketball, and how to work with other players, teammates and wonderful coaches,” Jaden Hardy said. “Now, it’s real fun just being able to connect with the kids.

“It kind of reminds me when I was younger, I used to be running around with a bunch of energy and doing anything. It’s just funny to see the kids out there having fun and enjoying themselves and having a great time. It’s fun and I’m glad to be here and spending time with them.”

Twitter: @DwainPrice