Sports On Tap Extra: (Mark Price Camps) Cleveland Cavaliers Legend Mark Price
All right, we’re here with Cleveland Cavaliers legend Mark Price. And Mark, coming into this year, this is the fourth straight year you guys got your Mark Price camps going on. This is your sixth camp already this year. This is your third day here at Madina. Just kind of talk about what these last four years have been like for the Mark Price camps overall. Yeah, it’s been awesome. You know, uh four years ago, uh we had our first camp here at Madina and we built a great relationship with uh you know, the high schools, you know, both the men’s and the the the the girls teams as well. And uh you know I love following them in the offseason, you know, seeing following their seasons and pulling for them. So uh yeah, we built a great relationship and I always look forward to coming back to Madina every summer. You know, what’s it like to give back to the community that you gave so much when you play here for the Cavs for 9 years. Yeah, I it’s it’s great. You know, I it’s like I’m reconnecting with a new fan base a little bit because obviously most of the kids don’t know who I am. Their parents do and kind of tell them and give them the scoop. So, uh, I get get to kind of work and and kind of give the things that help me become a good player and give back to the the kids in this generation. You know, the kids might not know who you are, but the parents do. And I see the parents wearing the kids number 25 jerseys. How special is that for kids just to be wearing your jersey at the camps? Yeah, it’s it’s awesome. Uh it’s so fun to see a bunch of kids wearing 25 running around the camp and showing up in jerseys and the parents I’m sure have have told them and watch made them watch videos and in highlights so they kind of really know who I am. You know, one of the things that really sticks out to me is that you were really supporting the Madina girls and Avon Lake girls basketball teams. You know, you’ve gone to their camps in the past and that and I’ve seen you congratulate Coach Case and the Avon League girls basketball coach. Coach Apple. this median girls head going to the sweet 16 and a league girls going to the final four. How special is that just to be able to watch some of these teams around the area that you’ve gone to the camps around the past? Yeah, it’s been awesome because not only uh you know those cities, Madina’s girls and Avon Lake girls both had fantastic seasons last year, but you know, a lot of those girls that are on those high school teams, you know, came to my camp and so uh you know, we’ve built that relationship. So, it’s so much fun to follow them and cheer them on from even though I’m not nearby. I wish if I was closer I’d come to a game or two, you know, to to support them, but I can at least follow them on Twitter and let them know I’m uh I’m proud of them. You know, we’ll talk a little bit about the Cavs. You know, the Cavs went 64 wins overall. Had a great regular season overall. Did not have a lot of success in the postseason, losing this second round, but overall, how fun was it watching this team with a new head coach in Kenny Atinson who was NBA coach of the year in the first year? Yeah, it was amazing year for the Cavs, especially obviously regular season, like you said, 64 wins. Amazing. Uh disappointing loss, but everybody sees how good Indiana ended up being. and they got all the way to the championship series, one game away from winning the whole thing. So, um that was the, you know, unfortunate thing. Sometimes in the playoffs, you run into a hot team and that’s what happened to the Cavs, but uh they still got their core, you know, with the team. Hopefully, everybody gets healthy again this year and the Cavs, I think, are going to be favorites in the East coming out. You know, I’ll talk about Denture because he was first team all NBA and he joins two other Cavaliers including yourself and LeBron James. How awesome is that just to be able to have him in that AllNBA team club of the Cavs and how awesome has it been just to be able to watch him in a Cavs uniform? Yeah, Donovan’s obviously a terrific player and I was so happy that uh you know he got picked first team allNBA and uh joined LeBron and myself as the only Cavs to have done that. So, uh, it’s really cool and just watching Donovan since he got to the Cavaliers, how we he’s always been a great player, but seeing his, uh, kind of maturity and growing into the leader of this team, and really he’s the guy that, uh, kind of makes everything work for the Cavaliers, you know. What’s the one thing that these kids want to really remember most about you and what do they want to leave on a high note here at the Mark Price camps? Well, I think for the kids it’s just u you know, people can tell them, hey, there’s this was this former NBA player, but that hey, I’m just a real person, somebody that uh they can, you know, have a conversation with, get to know them a little bit, and uh just build that kind of relationship with them. Uh and to let them know that, hey, I was just like them, you know, uh when I was their age, and and if you work hard and practice and put the time in, you could be a good player, too.
SOT’S Noah Jacobson caught up with Cleveland Cavaliers legend Mark Price talking about his Mark Price basketball camps, talking about the Cavs Season watching other high school teams around the area and giving back to the community.
