Jet Academy
The summer of 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Kenny Smith Carolina Basketball Camp. Unfortunately, just like most other summer activities, the camp, which was scheduled for July 20-24, was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
The official camp website reads, “The University of North Carolina and UNC Athletic Department has canceled all camps for 2020 at UNC, both day and overnight due to the COVID-19 Virus. Please be safe and we hope to see you next year.”
But Carolina basketball alum Kenny Smith did not earn his nickname, “The Jet”, by resting on his laurels. Campers who were planning to attend camp starting on July 20 can still do so, just from the comfort of their own home rather than at the Dean E. Smith Center.
According to a recent article from Adam Lucas, the elder Smith observed his son (and rising UNC Basketball senior) KJ “demonstrating a workout virtually for players from his high school and middle school.”
And thus the seed was planted for Kenny Smith to birth the Jet Academy.
The academy is a virtual basketball camp “available everywhere and on any device. You can stream from a gym, a park, or even in the comfort of your own home.”
Kenny will be the host of the camp, but each virtual session will also include interaction with and learning from a professional basketball player. These different pros include Kemba Walker, Victor Oladipo, Trae Young, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, and others to be announced soon.
By the nature of the academy being virtual, registrants will be able to watch sessions live or catch up later if they miss one via their account.
Also, because of the digital medium, rather than offering just one week, Jet Academy will offer multiple weeks and multiple tiers of involvement. Campers can sign up for a week at a time, but can also subscribe for six months or a year. The longer sessions, in addition to the summer sessions, will include an ongoing rotation of NBA legends and coaches, live Q&A sessions, and insider tips and sessions.
Registration is open now with the first week taking place at the same time as the on-site event would have happened (July 20-24). Kemba Walker will headline the first NBA session, while Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner will headline the first WNBA session.
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