Free hoop clinic tomorrow

by Staff Pioneer Times
15 years ago

Red Claws to visit Dunkin’ Donuts
By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    Dunkin’ Donuts and the Maine Red Claws … and I don’t mean lobster … are teaming up to give kids of all ages a chance to learn the fundamentals of basketball.
Image    The Maine Red Claws is a basketball team of the NBA Development League affiliated with the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats.
    Team members will be in Houlton at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Aug. 5) at Dunkin’ Donuts running a free 90-minute basketball clinic. The clinic will be held in the parking lot.
    “We set up some baskets and go,” said Red Claws coach Austin Ainge, son of Danny Ainge, former Boston Celtic player and current Boston Celtics president of basketball operations. “We will be going over the basic fundamentals of the game, dribbling, passing and shooting. We will also play some games, sign autographs and give away some prizes.”
    The clinic is open to girls and boys of all ages and skill levels.
    “We held a clinic today (Monday) in Gardiner and we had 80 kids. It was great,” said Ainge. “The kids had a lot of fun and went home with some fun stuff.”
    This is the first time the Red Claws players and staff have been this far north.
    “For us, it is just a way for us to give back to our fans,” Ainge explained. “They were so great to us all year and we sold out every game. It is kind of chance to give back a little bit.”
    On Feb. 25, 2009, the NBADL awarded the city of Portland, with the expansion franchise.
    “We just finished our inaugural year in April,” Ainge said. “We had very successful year. We set a league record for wins for an expansion franchise.”
    Last year, the Red Claws had four Boston Celtics players on their roster — J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, Lester Hudson and Marcus Landry.
    Tomorrow’s Dunkin’ Donut/Red Claws clinic can be a starting point for players, who want to see improvement.
    “Most kids, especially the younger kids, need to work on their ball handling,” said Ainge. “It’s hard for them to shoot correctly because they are not strong enough yet. But, they can always improve on their dribbling skill.”
    Though no one can change a player’s game in a day, the Red Claws players and staff want to offer this clinic to encourage players to work hard to get better.
    “We teach a few things to work on and have fun,” Ainge added.