Former NBA player Sharone Wright gives back through Macon youth basketball camp

Former NBA player Sharone Wright is using his 478 Hoops Youth Basketball Camp to teach Macon youth about basketball, leadership, and life skills.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Former NBA player Sharone Wright is using basketball to create opportunities for the next generation.

Wright is hosting the 478 Hoops Youth Basketball Camp, a program focused on helping kids grow both on and off the court. He says he and his mother started the camp with the goal of making a positive impact after he returned home from his NBA career and saw things he wanted to change.

“When I first got drafted and I would come home from the NBA and I would see different things I would like to change, and a lot of that was based on what I went through as a kid and how I became a ball player,” Wright said.

Wright attended Southwest High School before continuing his basketball career at the collegiate and professional levels. He later played in the NBA for Philadelphia, Toronto, and Minnesota.

He says one of the most important parts of the camp is bringing together kids from different backgrounds across Macon.

“There are some kids from different private schools. There are kids from Department of Family and Children Services. There are Boys and Girls Club kids. There are kids from foster homes. There are kids from the parks and recreation center,” Wright said. “So, we just kind of make a big deal about that. We want to make sure that it’s diverse.”

The camp focuses on more than basketball skills. Campers participate in leadership activities, financial literacy lessons, and educational opportunities designed to help prepare them for the future.

“This is an enrichment camp. It’s not just basketball, so we want to make sure that they have both things in hand,” Wright said.

For Wright, the goal is to build confidence and character and provide opportunities for young people throughout Macon.