The Sun News file photo
Myrtle Beach High School alum Akeem Hemingway is back in the United States after a stint of professional basketball in Mexico and is ready to give back.
Hemingway will put on the inaugural "Shooting For Success" basketball camp on April 24-25 at Myrtle Beach High School. The details are listed below, and scroll down if you want to see what Hemingway had to say about the camp, his time in Mexico and more.
Shooting For Success basketball camp
- April 24-25 | Myrtle Beach High School alum Akeem Hemingway's inaugural "Shooting For Success" basketball camp. First day will be split into two sessions: first session from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be for players in sixth through eighth grade; second session from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. will be for players in ninth through 12th grade. Second day will be one session from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for ninth- through 12th-graders. While the major emphasis will be on shooting, the camp will also include drill stations, controlled team scrimmages and game situations. The price is $35 for sixth- through eighth-graders, and $50 for ninth- through 12th-graders. For more information or to sign up, call Clifford Butler at 843-455-1893.
Talking hoops with Akeem Hemingway
Hemingway, who played collegiately at Connors State College and UMKC, made his debut as a professional this winter in Tijuana, Mexico, for the first-year Tijuana Zonkies in the CIBACOPA, which is affiliated with FIBA Americas. It was quite an experience for Hemingway on many levels - including the fact he was living in San Diego and crossed the U.S.-Mexican border often. Here's what he had to say:
Q | What transpired when you got down there?
Akeem | In the league you're allowed two Americans per team. Sure enough, when I got over there I'm one of the tallest players [on the team]. [I played two games and then] the team got a committment from two other Americans who were 6-9 and 6-10. The team needed a post presence, so they went with them instead of me. The coaches even offered me to stay to help them coach. They liked me that much. The situation was just kind of bad. But at the end of the day I respect their decision. I just didn't think I could afford to stay with the situation.
Q | Having been so close to the U.S.-Mexico border, what kind of things did you see, experience?
Akeem | It was dangerous. Rough isn't the word. First day I get over there and we're crossing the border and coach points out this white car. He looks to me and says 'you see that?' I look and saw what he was talking about. They're actually people waiting people to enter to Mexico and they hire these bodyguards. They walk down the street with bodyguards [because it's so dangerous]. I was thinking, man, that's gonna draw more attention. That's the people with the money [who do that]. Those people gonna try to come for you. One thing coach said, in relation to your cousin [NBA player] Ramon [Sessions], keep that on the low. A lot of times they'll come after you, kidnap you and hold you for ransom. One day I was taken out of practice to keep that from happening. It was a dangerous situation to stay over there. One dangerous thing was we were leaving Tijuana and going into San Diego and me and coach, we get up to the border, cut off the car, [the typical process for crossing the border]. They run the drug dogs and they are sniffing the car. They open up the hood and trunk of the car. What it was, I was crossing the border everyday, using the passport. They run your passport through this machine each time. The machine keeps the number of times you cross. The thought was you [are] crossing the border a lot, so they wondered why. At this point I'm kind of panicking, like I don't want to go to jail in Mexico, so coach explained to him about being a player. They didn't find anything so they let us go.
Q | We talked before you went over about the importance of getting something on your resume. Tell me about your situation now and if you have any future plans mapped out yet.
Akeem | I really haven't thought about it yet. When you have things on your resume things can happen. You're a step ahead now. A guy in my situation now is going to be taken because he has more experience than a guy with none.
Q | With the start of your camp here in Myrtle Beach, what is your goal and what do you want your camp to be known for?
Akeem | I want to do a clinic because I've actually worked in camps with kids in high school, middle schools before. I want to do something where it touches on more [specifics]. I want to get a chance to work hands-on and give them the knowledge I've learned in the game. If I would have known what I know now earlier it would have been a different ballgame. [I want to teach them] how to be poised. It's a lot about the little things. There's a lot of things about being a defender. There's a little trick here, little thing there [that can help a lot]. The game is simple, but there is much more to it than most people think.
Q | What transpired when you got down there?
Akeem | In the league you're allowed two Americans per team. Sure enough, when I got over there I'm one of the tallest players [on the team]. [I played two games and then] the team got a committment from two other Americans who were 6-9 and 6-10. The team needed a post presence, so they went with them instead of me. The coaches even offered me to stay to help them coach. They liked me that much. The situation was just kind of bad. But at the end of the day I respect their decision. I just didn't think I could afford to stay with the situation.
Q | Having been so close to the U.S.-Mexico border, what kind of things did you see, experience?
Akeem | It was dangerous. Rough isn't the word. First day I get over there and we're crossing the border and coach points out this white car. He looks to me and says 'you see that?' I look and saw what he was talking about. They're actually people waiting people to enter to Mexico and they hire these bodyguards. They walk down the street with bodyguards [because it's so dangerous]. I was thinking, man, that's gonna draw more attention. That's the people with the money [who do that]. Those people gonna try to come for you. One thing coach said, in relation to your cousin [NBA player] Ramon [Sessions], keep that on the low. A lot of times they'll come after you, kidnap you and hold you for ransom. One day I was taken out of practice to keep that from happening. It was a dangerous situation to stay over there. One dangerous thing was we were leaving Tijuana and going into San Diego and me and coach, we get up to the border, cut off the car, [the typical process for crossing the border]. They run the drug dogs and they are sniffing the car. They open up the hood and trunk of the car. What it was, I was crossing the border everyday, using the passport. They run your passport through this machine each time. The machine keeps the number of times you cross. The thought was you [are] crossing the border a lot, so they wondered why. At this point I'm kind of panicking, like I don't want to go to jail in Mexico, so coach explained to him about being a player. They didn't find anything so they let us go.
Q | We talked before you went over about the importance of getting something on your resume. Tell me about your situation now and if you have any future plans mapped out yet.
Akeem | I really haven't thought about it yet. When you have things on your resume things can happen. You're a step ahead now. A guy in my situation now is going to be taken because he has more experience than a guy with none.
Q | With the start of your camp here in Myrtle Beach, what is your goal and what do you want your camp to be known for?
Akeem | I want to do a clinic because I've actually worked in camps with kids in high school, middle schools before. I want to do something where it touches on more [specifics]. I want to get a chance to work hands-on and give them the knowledge I've learned in the game. If I would have known what I know now earlier it would have been a different ballgame. [I want to teach them] how to be poised. It's a lot about the little things. There's a lot of things about being a defender. There's a little trick here, little thing there [that can help a lot]. The game is simple, but there is much more to it than most people think.
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