SALT LAKE CITY — This week the Delta Center was home to the Salt Lake City Summer League and just 24 hours after it wrapped up, the next generation of athletes took over as Utah jazz camps and clinics got underway.
You never know who will make an appearance during the summer experiences for kids.
After an impressive performance at the SLC Summer League, with 57 points and 27 rebounds over three games, Ochai Agbaji made it a point to stop in at the little ballers clinic at the Delta Center.
Agbaji was on a tight time crunch, as his flight to Las Vegas took off for Summer League took off shortly after his visit to the clinic. He said it was a big priority to see and interact with the kids.
FOX 13 Sports Reporter Andrea Urban asked the second-year Jazz player why he made it a point to stop in.
"Really just to show how much we care for our fans and how much they mean to us," he said. "Just to show our support in any way, whether it's a picture or anything else, giving some tips to these younger kids, it means a lot to them."
Agbaji said meeting the next generation of athletes and fans is inspiring and motivating.
"It means a lot," he explained. "[To] know that you had a picture with someone and shared a moment, whether it's five seconds, ten seconds, whatever. You shared a moment with your favorite player, I may become one of their favorite players one of these days, so it's really exciting and really motivating at the same time too."
With less than 24 hours from the time Summer League games were played until when little ballers got on the court, it's an impressive feat for the Utah Jazz team to turn around events so quickly.
"It just shows how family-oriented the Jazz organization is," Agbaji reflected. "I was just playing here not even 24 hours ago, so it's crazy to see that and now I'm seeing them up close and in person so it's really special for them."
"We're in our fifth year," explained Gary Seljaas, Utah Jazz camps and clinics manager, "We're at the point where this year we'll do almost 50 camps throughout the entire year."
The clinics and camps focus on giving kids the full Jazz experience, from entering through the tunnel onto the court, running drills on the court to checking out the locker room.
"We're just giving them number one the opportunity to be on the court," Seljaas said. "they'll be on the court working on some shooting drills, they get to work on some dribbling drills. Just the opportunity for kids to relate the Jazz"
