In recent days, as Charlotte's Stephen Curry has come under fire for the cost of a basketball camp he's putting on in Hawaii. Another Charlottean, former NBA and UNC star Antawn Jamison, is personally covering the cost of 100 of the 130 campers registered for his annual camp in Chapel Hill July 16-17.
The camp costs $249, and Jamison is giving up a lot of profit to bring campers to the Dean Smith center, earning just enough _ according to spokesperson Livis Freeman _ to cover expenses.
"I don't do this to make money," said Jamison, who will be keynote speaker for the United States Basketball Association youth national championship opening ceremonies at Carowinds Tuesday. "I do it to provide a fun and cool experience for kids all over the country who would otherwise never get to step inside of the Smith Center, much less play on the floor. Seeing the smiles on my campers' faces is the only payment I need."
On Tuesday, NFL player Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks criticized Curry for charging more than $2,000 for admission to his Hawaii camp. Bennett annually hosts a free football camp in Hawaii. Curry apparently got wind of Bennett's comments. Curry posted on Instagram, directing players to his brother's camp in Los Angeles, which costs significantly less.
Thirty of Jamison's free campers are from Camp Corral, a free, weeklong summer camp for children of wounded, disabled or fallen military service members. Jamison serves as an official spokesperson for Camp Corral. He sponsored a ticket block, called Antawn's Army, for military families at almost every home game during his 16-year NBA career.
Jamison, currently an analyst for the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, is a past winner of the NBA's Community Assist Award and is a three-time honoree by The Sporting News as one of the "Good Guys" in sports.
In high school, he was an All-American and two-time Charlotte Observer player of the year at Providence High before becoming a national player of the year at North Carolina.
