KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - A KCK native who made it all the way to Mizzou is coming back to his hometown to launch a basketball camp. He says it’s more than the lessons of the game he wants to teach.
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“We always just try to do things that could leave an impact on kids away from the court,” said Tamar Bates.
Mizzou Tiger Tamar Bates grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He watched his dad coach and his older brother play, which immersed him into the sport. His talents eventually caught the attention of the University of Missouri’s basketball team -- after beginning his career at Indiana.
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“The ball just kind of fell into my hands and I just kind of took off from there,” said Bates.
Bates says he hasn’t put the basketball down since. Growing up in the city, he says he watched other kids fall victim to negative influences, but he had a support system that kept him on the right path.
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“I could have easily succumbed to the life that some other people around me were living,” said Bates.
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He’s pulling inspiration from his experience going to basketball camps led by NBA stars like Alec Burks as a child. The Grandview, Missouri, native currently plays for the New York Knicks.
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Now Bates is choosing to lead by example through his Inside the Scoop Basketball Camp. The camp is open to girls and boys in the third through ninth grade. But for Bates, the camp is bigger than just basketball itself.
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“Being from Kansas City, I just wanna instill hope in them and let them know that, you know, that somebody whether they look like me or not, it’s possible for them to make it out of Kansas City doing something with basketball or not,” said Bates. “Just whatever they wanna do in this life just put your best foot forward and continue to do all the right things.”
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The one-day camp takes place Saturday, June 8 at the Homefield KCK Showcase Center from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration closes on Monday.
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The cost is $5 and proceeds from the camp go toward the Equal Justice Initiative, a cause dedicated to ending mass incarceration.
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