Growing up in Minnesota, Jalen Suggs had the opportunity to attend various basketball camps, including one hosted by Chris Paul.
That experience had a major impact on Suggs, as it was a chance for him to see an elite NBA guard up close and personal.
“Seeing an NBA player while you were a young kid chasing hoop dreams (was) one of the best feelings in the world,” the Magic guard recently told the Orlando Sentinel. “It made it feel so attainable. You felt like the coolest kid in the world for a while.”
Fast forward to this week, Suggs, now 25 years old and entering his sixth season in the league, found himself in a similar spot as Paul: serving as a coach and mentor for up-and-coming basketball players at a camp.
The Magic guard spent Wednesday-Saturday at the inaugural men’s Basketball Without Borders “Next Up” camp, which was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The camp brought together 80 of the top male, high-school-age prospects from around the world to participate in drills, seminars and games under the guidance of current and former NBA and FIBA players and coaches.
“I always love spreading knowledge of the game, and that comes very naturally to me,” Suggs said by phone from Istanbul. “So, it’s been really fun to be here and see these kids grow over the past couple of days. … Overall, I get multiple opportunities a day to interact and do some skills and drills and have conversations with the kids at the camp. They’re so talented. That’s one thing that’s jumped out at me.”
“This next generation that’s coming up has all of the skills, has all of the abilities (and) the handle to be able to get to their spots and knock down shots,” he added. “It’s just about continuing to teach them the way of how to become more efficient, some of the intricate details of the game that they might be missing out on. The fact that I’m the one who’s able to do that in this space and during this time period, it’s such a blessing.”
Second go-round for Suggs
This year’s event, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Basketball Without Borders program, is the second time Suggs has coached for the organization that represents the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach initiative. He previously coached at a BWB camp in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2023.
In Turkey, Suggs was joined by Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, NBA legend Vlade Divac, former NBA player Danilo Gallinari, Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton and Clippers center Brook Lopez.
“There’s a lot of great teaching going on here,” Suggs said. “A lot of high level coaches, a lot of high level players, and so many people who are pouring into them that are part of BWB and FIBA that want to see them succeed. Them having this opportunity to be in this setting, receive this coaching, hear the terminology … I think everything about this opportunity is amazing for the kids.”
Of course, the young prospects aren’t the only ones gaining something from the experience.
Suggs said he is learning, too.
“They teach me patience, for sure,” he said. “It’s really cool for me to take a step back and look at the game from a different perspective. Now I’m trying to teach 16- and 17-year-old kids who are coming from all over the world with different language barriers.”
“So, I’m trying to go into my memory bank and reflect on everything that I’ve learned over my career that has helped me and then communicate it to these kids in a manner in which they’ll understand,” he added. “To tap back into everything that all of the coaches that I’ve had from all the spaces that I’ve been to, to the camps that I’ve gotten to be at, everything that people have poured into me, I’m just giving back.”
One of those coaches who’s helped Suggs is his newest: Sean Sweeney.
Getting to know the new coach
A fellow Minnesota native, Sweeney is entering his first season as an NBA head coach after he spent the past 15 years rising through the ranks around the league. The Magic hired him in June after Orlando fired Jamahl Mosley following a third straight first-round exit.
Sweeney and Suggs have been in communication throughout the summer and have met multiple times to watch film and pick each other’s brains, according to the Magic guard.
“He’s really shared the vision in which we want to play and the type of player he wants me to be for our team to help maximize our unit as a whole,” Suggs said about Sweeney. “The fact that we get to connect here and continue to chase a common goal of making deep playoff runs and go and accomplish something that the city has never done before, it’s nothing short of a blessing.
“I think it’s very intentional from God, so I’m very happy for him,” Suggs added. “(It’s) very cool to see how he’s taken on the role so far and the things that he’s doing to change the environment and how we run things in Orlando.”
Courtesy of NBAE
Magic guard Jalen Suggs takes part in a media session at the inaugural Basketball Without Borders Next Up camp in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday. (Courtesy of NBAE)
Suggs described his summer to this point as “pretty slow” from a travel perspective. He said he was in Minnesota for all of June and Las Vegas for all of July, including the two weeks Orlando spent at Summer League.
“I’ve really loved how it’s been so far in the sense that I’ve been able to lock in and really get into a rhythm and routine because I’m not having to fly to different places every other week,” he said of his offseason. “I’ve had the opportunity of really locking in, getting better and doing a deep dive into myself and the things I need to do to improve to help the squad out.”
The Magic open training camp Sept. 29 at the AdventHealth Training Center. While Suggs is looking forward to returning to Orlando, his experience in Istanbul is one he won’t forget.
“I think this camp has been perfect because I haven’t gotten to travel because of how present and how stagnant I’ve been in working,” he said. “It’s amazing I get to come out here and not only see a beautiful, beautiful place but also get to interact with these kids and let my mind drift away from preparing for the season and the heaviness of that to just kind of be (myself) for a bit and truly enjoy the game of basketball for what it is at its purest form, just continuing to teach it, so that future generations and kids from all over the world can take it in their own way and the game of basketball keeps growing.
“I’ve loved my summer, and I really do miss the guys. I’m excited to get back rolling and get in the same space.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com