When you’re a kid, stars of the basketball court can seem impossibly godlike. They move with superhuman speed, practically fly through the air and are rich and famous to boot. That’s why events like the NBA All-Star Jam Session can be so important. The Houston Rockets’ own Chandler Parsons credits the Jam Session with helping to inspire his own pro-ball dreams, including meeting the Orlando Magic’s Nick Anderson as a boy. The Jam Session provides basketball activities scaled down to kid-size so that young players can get an idea of what it’s like to nail a three-pointer from the line or even pull off a magnificent dunk in the face of their opponents. Autographs by current players and legends are available for free at the event, allowing tomorrow’s ballers the chance to connect with the past and the present of basketball. John Starks, George Gervin, AC Green, Muggsy Bogues and Calvin Murphy as well as DeJuan Blair are all scheduled to be on-hand.
Feb. 14-17, 2013
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.