Irvine, California, March 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shortly after Corey Maggette entered the NBA, he knew that he wanted to put together a basketball camp to help out the next generation. He spoke numerous times in interviews about how much of an impact teachers camps made on him when he was growing up, and he wanted to pass it along to the next generation when given a chance.
It didn’t take long for the Corey Maggette Flight 50 basketball Camp to be established in his rookie year, inviting 50 kids to a camp hosted by one of the most exciting young players in the NBA. Little did he know that a camp with humble beginnings would evolve into one of the top options around the entire NBA.
A humble start
Not many rookie NBA players focus on stuff going on off the court, but Maggette was adamant about getting a camp going right away. The Corey Maggette Flight 50 Basketball Camp did not try to be the biggest, but he wanted to bring in 50 players willing to learn not only the basics, but some advanced skills to further their game as well.
Teaching on the court is great, but Maggette also stressed the importance of becoming a better person overall. It’s one of the things that made his basketball camp stand out from others right away, and it seems like a natural fit for the Chicago native. Soon, others began to take notice that he looked like a natural in this role.
Rapid growth
After his initial season in Orlando, Maggette would spend an entire decade playing in the state of California. Eight of those seasons were with the Los Angeles Clippers, and this is where he was able to put down roots and start to build out the Corey Maggette Flight 50 Basketball Camp according to Sports Information Traders.
Flight 50 is in reference to Maggette's number, but it was also the target enrollment for the very first camp. By the end of the decade, hundreds and hundreds of campers were coming each year to learn from him. He capped out at about 600 one year, and received a ton of praise for handling the logistics of that, so every camper enjoyed their time. This led to him bringing in guest players and speakers to maximize value as well. More people became interested, and he felt obligated to step the game up even more.
Perhaps the highest honor the camp received was the NBA Players Best Camp Award at the peak of its growth. Maggette went from just trying to give back to inspiring many other NBA players to put together something similar. He set the standard for many in his generation, indirectly impacting thousands of young athletes around the world.
Continued expansion and other endeavors
The camp continued to grow, proving to be a success during his playing career. This led to him putting more and more resources into the camp, and also expanding to other programs. He had an Uh Oh Maggette-O Kids Program that helped bring children to Los Angeles Clippers games for free. He was also part of the Clippers reading All-Star Club, going directly to schools to help make reading a bit more enjoyable.
His biggest step during his NBA playing career came in 2006, when he established the Corey Cares Foundation. They were still somewhat of a focus on basketball, but it was meant to inspire entire communities.
Present-day work
Now that his NBA days are over, Maggette has shifted his focus to the Maggette Basketball Association. The motto is to teach, train and inspire the next generation. Not only is basketball training a huge focus, but so is evolving into adults. He like his old NBA friend Kobe Bryant took mentoring and giving back to the surrounding community very seriously and knows now that he needs to step up even more to inspire others.
With the help of his wife Milli Maggette, the two feel like this is a great transition into a new part of their lives. His playing days are over (save for his Big3 play in the summer), but he still commands an audience thanks to his lengthy NBA career. Many consider him a natural teacher, and that helps players of varying skill levels maximize their skills.