INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA All-Star Game is full of glitz and glamour, but at the heart of it, it is a sport many Hoosiers learned to love as kids. The NBA got back to basics during Junior NBA Day.
More than 2,000 children from across Indiana came to the Indiana Convention Center to sharpen their basketball skills.
Several legendary players came to teach the children, including former Indiana Pacers All-Star center Roy Hibbert.
"I'm sweating right now," Hibbert said. "You don't have to worry about me working out because I'm keeping up with the kids."
The NBA also invited Junior NBA instructors from across the league to help Hoosier children learn how to play.
"Basketball teaches you so many life skills, like how to be a good teammate and how to be accountable," said Danielle Williams, who typically manages the Portland Trail Blazers' Junior NBA program. "I always try to push those kids that are kind of shy or in a box. They typically come out of their shell a little bit so it's always good to see."
Hibbert said he has a duty to teach young Hoosiers all that he learned during his legendary career in blue and gold.
"It's paramount to pass on the knowledge. When I was a kid, I had [NBA Hall-of-Famers] Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning coming to my Boys and Girls Club."
Other players who showed up at Junior NBA Day include two-time All-Star point guard Baron Davis and bruising power forward Jerome "Junk Yard Dog" Williams.
