Thomas Bryant donates time at YMCA basketball kids camp
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – Before he was in the NBA, Thomas Bryant starred for the Indiana Hoosiers. Before that, Bryant was a prospect at Bishop Kearney High School.
“In order for an NBA player to come back to a place that so-called never produced anything, that means so much more to me than just going on a vacation,” said Bryant.
A vacation would be well deserved. Bryant did just win an NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets. But he’d rather give back to a place he spent a lot of time in.
“I remember being this age spending time at the Y. I remember it was me and Christian, we used to spend 4, 5, 6 hours in here a day,” said Bryant.
Bryant still plays basketball 4, 5, or 6 hours a day. Only now, he’s making a few million dollars a year doing it with his new team, the Miami Heat. He’s a local celebrity. Kind of like Superman to these kids.
Before he was in the NBA, Thomas Bryant starred for the Indiana Hoosiers. Before that, Bryant was a prospect at Bishop Kearney High School.
“They’re aware of me. They know me and everything. They ask me all about questions about how it was playing with LeBron and playing in the NBA. Some of the older kids actually challenged me like who was my favorite coach and what tips could you give me going into the future and I really appreciated that,” said Bryant.
As Thomas Bryant suits up for his seventh NBA season, he leads a pack of five Rochester players in the league. And he’s trying to help pave the next wave of Section Five stars to make it to the league, all in the same place it started for him at.
“To share something like that with these kids that probably don’t get this opportunity, that means so much to me, because I never got this opportunity when I was younger,” said Bryant.
Cleary you’re never too big for the NBA – even with a 7-6 wingspan.