LEHI, Utah (ABC 4 Sports) - Former BYU great Jimmer Fredette is hosting a week-long basketball camp for some 600 lucky kids in Lehi. While it's highly unlikely any of these kids will turn out be nearly as good as BYU's all-time leading scorer, Jimmer still wants to teach them the work ethic that made him the player he is today.
"It's a great camp," said Jimmer. "It's a lot of fun for the kids. We're really teaching them the fundamentals of basketball -- how to shoot the ball correctly, the different moves that I have done throughout my career. Hopefully, I can teach these kids how to do them as well."
But after Jimmer sank no less than three 60-footers, the question was asked, is it really possible to teach kids how to Jimmer?
"You just have to teach them to go out there and practice as hard as they can," Jimmer said. "That's what I did. I practiced a lot. They can be just as good a shooter as I am if they go out and work as hard as they can. A lot of these kids could be even better than me if they wanted to."
"Jimmer went through a ton of kids like this when he was a kid," said Jimmer's father, Al, who is helping run the camp. "He loved these camps, and it's a good way to be able to have fun and still get instruction."
But it's not all about basketball at Jimmer's camp.
"We're also trying to convey the message to be a good person and do things the right way," said Jimmer. "If you do that, you can be successful in life."
Jimmer's star power has grown exponentially over the last month. From becoming the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, to winning an ESPY award for best male collegiate athlete, to playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Jimmer has hobnobbed with some of the best known athletes in the world.
"It's been crazy," said Jimmer. "I met Dirk [Nowitzki] at the ESPYs, and I met Jason Kidd, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Timberlake, John Elway, the list goes on. It's unbelievable because they come up to me and they know my name. The funniest thing was John Smoltz, the great pitcher, he came up to me and took off his hat and said, 'Can I have your autograph?' I was like, 'I should be asking you for your autograph.'"
Through all the attention and fanfare, Jimmer has managed to stay grounded as he gets ready to enter a new chapter in his life.
"I'm in a position to help kids out now and be a role model," he said. "That's exactly what I want to do. I want to show them the path that I've kind of paved for them, and hopefully they can follow in those footsteps and reach their dreams just like I have."
As for the current NBA lockout that could wipe out some or all of the upcoming season, Jimmer says he just has to stay ready.
"Exactly, that's all I can do," he said. "I just have to stay ready and work as hard as I possibly can, and whenever my name is called, just go out there and do it."
