NBA players’ association bringing Top 100 Camp to Rock Hill

The National Basketball Players Association’s famed Top 100 Camp, which includes Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant among its alumni, is moving to Rock Hill this year.

The camp, which features the top high school basketball players in the country, will be staged June 9-13 at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center.

“We think the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center is the perfect place for what we do at this camp,” said Dan Gladstone senior vice president for Business Development and Key Initiatives for the NBPA, the NBA players’ union.

Camp attendees and their parents will be joined by current and former NBA players, NBA referees and players’ association officials for a week of clinics, competition and life skills workshops. The camp also is expected to draw several hundred college basketball coaches, as it takes place during an NCAA open recruiting period.

The Top 100 Camp, is in its 31st year, has been held the past three years at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Gladstone said the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center is “an amazing facility.” He said the multiple courts, areas for workshops, nearby hotels and restaurants, and proximity of Charlotte Douglas International Airport attracted the interest of the NBPA.

Camp organizers are former NBA players Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Longtime NBA coach Phil Handy will be camp director.

The camp is not open to the public, but Gladstone said many of its events will be live-streamed on social media platforms.

Livingston said the camp goes beyond skills training and basketball education for young players.

“Our focus is professional development and opening doors beyond the court,” he said. “Basketball can give its players access to worlds they otherwise wouldn’t have. We’re giving the next generation the tools to realize those opportunities.”

Gladstone said players and their parents will attend workshops on topics such as mental health and wellness, financial literacy, NIL rights and even how to dress professionally.

The Top 100 Camp was launched in 1994 by the players’ union to help prepare potential future professionals for how to deal with the big money and attention that accompanies an NBA career.

The Top 100 Camp has two other components — for potential future coaches, and for young referees. Gladstone said NBA players who have expressed an interest in coaching in the future are invited to work with the high school players. And some of the league’s young referees are invited to officiate games and work on their skills.

Three Charlotte-area players are among the camp’s alumni — Curry, who played at Charlotte Christian; Ish Smith, of Central Cabarrus; and Anthony Morrow, of Charlotte Latin.

Among the other thousands of camp alumni are Cooper Flagg, Paolo Banchero, Draymond Green, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, James Harden, Dwight Howard, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson and Trae Young.

The camp is open to rising sophomores, junior and seniors, with preference given to older high school students. Some players were selected for the camp two or even three times in the past.

Gladstone said a committee of 25 youth basketball experts selects players, using rankings and recommendations from high school and AAU coaches.

“It’s not an exact science,” he said. “But we also look for players who might not be ranked but have developed quickly.”

Gladstone said the camp’s presence will bring dollars to the Rock Hill area, with hotels and restaurants benefiting.

“We’ll be getting all our meals from area restaurants,” he said. “We’ve been impressed with restaurants in the area.”

Gladstone said the camp should help all the participants, regardless of how far their basketball careers go.

“Some ultimately will be pros, while others might not,” he said. “But either way, they’ll get a great background from this camp.”