The Most Famous Big Man Camp Around

The Pete Newell Big Man Basketball Camp has been the most famous summer workout camp for basketball players with size on their side. The main thing players learn at the camp? Footwork. While these guys received their gift of height naturally, footwork takes a lot of work; without it, height doesn't help much.

Newell is 85 years old. He's been around for a long time. And his camp has existed for 23 years. Players know this and listen closely to what he teaches. Pete helps pro and college big-men learn how to position themselves to receive passes, how to use their size to their advantage by clearing out space for themselves, and what to do once they actually have the ball in hand.

Newell's an expert in the basics. Many talented big basketball players got where they are by size and athletic ability and not by mastering the fundamentals. This camp is the place where they fine-tune skills they need if they really care about raising their games to a higher level.

The pro and college games generally use centers differently. There's a lot more isolation in the NBA than the NCAA, and if a big player lacks true footwork skills, his flaws will be exposed for all to see.

They don't even play much full-court basketball at the Pete Newell camp. The games are halfcourt, with 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 games.

The next time your favorite team's center catches the ball and appears clueless about what to do with it, or stumbles around, unsure of his footing, e-mail team management and tell them you heard about a summer camp they might want to look into.

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