According to Lawrence Mann, Jaden Hardy’s journey to the Dallas Mavericks was something akin to a supernatural intervention.Hardy
Thanks to Mann, the founder and executive director of Plano-based Top Achievers, Hardy was able to share his story with children in the Dallas Fort-Worth area while he was attending Coronado High School in Henderson, NV, a suburb of Las Vegas, prior to the Mavs making a draft-day trade to acquire him from the Sacramento Kings on June 23, 2022.
Mann told Mavs.com, “When he was in Las Vegas, we had mentorships and Zoom conferences, and Jaden was talking to kids about his journey.” When he returned to Dallas three years later to play basketball (with the Mavs), he thought it was incredible that his fan base was waiting for him when he stepped off the airport.
I’m not sure if it was a blessing or just the result of pure chance. However, he is aware that having a fan following existed long before he was fully integrated into our society. That was really nice, then.
Mann was raised in Detroit, not far from Hardy’s father, Ramsey. Thus, Hardy came to Mann for help when he was attempting to put up a free basketball camp that kids could attend in the DFW region.
Thus, Hardy had previously held a basketball camp before he even put on a Mavs uniform as a rookie in 2022. At June Shelton School in Far North Dallas on Saturday, Hardy hosted his third basketball camp in the region.
Hardy stated, “I just wanted to give back to the kids and be involved in the community.” Growing up, I attended camps every single time. I simply wanted to follow in the footsteps of NBA stars that visited my town.
That, in my opinion, is what brought me to this point (the NBA). Being able to speak with NBA players at a young age and witnessing it from an early age gave me the confidence to think that I could succeed, which I did. I simply longed to mentor and give back to these youngsters because I had faith in God and in myself.
Cynthia Marshall, the chief executive officer of the Mavs, visited Hardy’s camp and gave some advice to the 125 participants, expressing a similar perspective.
“I want Hardy to know that we support him with his Dallas Mavericks activities at our court, and we also support him on these other courts in what he’s doing to literally invest in these young people,” Marshall remarked. “I love what (Hardy) is doing in the community and I know how important it is.” “Hardy is putting in a lot of energy and is spending his own money and effort to improve the town.
Thus, we would like him to know how much we value it.
Marshall was so grateful for it that she leaped at the chance to go to Hardy’s camp. Marshall stated: “I asked, ‘Oh, is he doing the camp again?'” after receiving a call a few hours earlier informing me that they had arrived. “Yes, he does it every year,” they said. I’m thinking, “Oh my god.” I’m heading out now, complete with tennis shoes, T-shirts, and sweatpants.
“I’m glad they informed me that he was here again because it was very important.”
The youngsters left the five-hour session with Mavs merchandise in addition to the information they had gained from the several coaches there.
Every year, Mann noted, “we see a new group of kids come in because they hear great things about the camp.” Not just basketball, but also the transferable abilities like mentoring and the lesson we impart, which is how to treat people how you would like to be treated in addition to learning the proper technique to play the game.
In the three years that we have had our current coaches, both their quantity and quality have increased. It’s much simpler for them since they know what to anticipate, and they are aware of our high standards for running
Regarding the Mavs, Hardy is rather happy with the players the organization acquired in the summer, including Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, and Quentin Grimes.
Hardy remarked, “I think we got some great pickups with Klay coming in, Naji, and Quentin.” That allows us to film outside and be much more versatile.
“I think it just benefits the team in the long run and as a whole. We seem to have a really talented crew.
The Mavs had a 50-32 record at the end of the previous season, and they ultimately lost the NBA Finals 4-1 to the Boston Celtics. Hardy thinks they now have the pieces to return to the Finals and win the championship with the new additions.
Regaining our previous position is our aim, he stated. “Our ultimate goal is to win that championship and return to it.”
Before the season even begins, with mini-camps, it all begins with getting to know one another, developing a bond, and learning to trust one another. Resilience and trust are required. I think we have a fantastic collection of people to do it again.
Hardy commended the Mavs for winning their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and tough Minnesota Timberwolves last season despite being the underdogs. “I can say one thing about that team,” he said, elaborating on how it occurred. We all stayed united. The ruckus from outside didn’t stop us or our conversation.
“I think that’s what helped us in those situations when we were down in a series or when we were in a tough game and it was close in the fourth quarter. We just stayed with each other and trusted each other.” We basically had mutual trust, and I think we were successful in that.
The 22-year-old guard Hardy is also aware of
Hardy remarked, “It’s nice to see them coming out and having a good time and to be able to teach them basketball. Come over here and make new friends and have fun.” It truly boils down to attempting to impart some success-oriented knowledge to the next generation.
“It’s a lot of fun being able to coach them out there,”
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