Matt Barnes Youth Basketball Camp Is Fri-Sun at Pali High

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

NBA player Matt Barnes will host his ninth annual youth basketball camp from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug. 14 at the Palisades High gym.

The camp is open to boys and girls of all skill levels ages 6-15 and the cost is $250 per camper. Registration includes a camp t-shirt, daily lunch and snacks, an individual autographed photo with Barnes and an adidas swag bag with giveaways.

Barnes, currently with the Sacramento Kings, played collegiately at UCLA, where he became the 43rd player in Bruins history to top 1,000 points. In his senior year, he led the team in assists (108) and was second in rebounds (192) and steals (35).

Barnes turned pro in 2002, playing for the Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League. He played for the Long Beach Jam of the ABA in 2003-04. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2010-12, the Los Angeles Clippers from 2012-15 and the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

Call Executive Director Irene Y. Pacheco at (310) 988-0076 or email Irene@MattBarnesEnterprises.com to register.

Giving back to the game he loves is important to Barnes, who had 130 campers at last year’s camp, also at Pali High. He and his staff, which included Pali High coaches Vejas Anaya and Kris Johnson, ran the kids through a series of drills, games and skills competitions designed to improve their fundamentals in dribbling, shooting, passing and defending.

“This is something I never had when I was young,” Barnes said after making 15 three-point baskets in one minute to win the long distance shootout at last year’s camp. “We held our celebrity flag football game here at Palisades two years ago, so  I wanted to come back to do this.”

Barnes, a 6-foot-7 small forward, has averaged 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in his 13-year NBA career.

Campers may expect a few surprise “guests” after several current and past NBA stars showed up to speak last year, including former UCLA standout Toby Bailey, Brooklyn Nets forward Quincy Miller,  Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and Oklahoma City perennial All-Star Kevin Durant.

The message was simple: practice hard, respect the game and have fun.