Macon hoops legend Sharone Wright returns to Macon to serve community

If you were to visit Southwest High School next week on a whim, you might just see some basketball icons working with the next generation.

The stars will be out on Anthony Road from July 6-10, when former Southwest standout and NBA player Sharone Wright is set to host the 25th edition of his 478 Hoops youth basketball camp in Macon.

Wright won state championships with the Patriots in the 1980s before playing with Clemson in college and becoming the sixth pick of the 1994 NBA Draft. 

Though his NBA career was cut short by a car accident — Wright eventually had to have a leg amputated because of the injuries he sustained — the former Philadelphia 76er and Toronto Raptor’s passion for the game still burned bright decades after his playing career.

Wright spoke at length about the camp, which was inspired by two key factors: his mother, Carolyn, and his own experience at a basketball camp many years ago.

“I remember how excited I was when I got to go to a basketball camp put on by Jeff Malone,” Wright told The Melody, referencing his fellow Southwest alum, who became an NBA All-Star. “Later in my career, my mother reminded me about giving back to my community. She mentioned that Jeff Malone camp, and it went from there.”

Wright remembered how starstruck he was meeting an NBA player like Malone and made it his mission to provide the same experience for Macon kids at his camp. He rattled off players who have worked with his camp before — names like Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse — and said experience helps when training young athletes.

“It’s not just basketball, though,” Wright said. “And it’s not a daycare, either. We have speakers come in and talk about things … because kids these days are dealing with grown-up issues now.”

Indeed, the camp features seminars on financial literacy for older kids. There are essay contests. Visiting speakers talk to kids about tough subjects like community violence and poverty.

While the camp is intended to teach about more than just basketball, Wright also wants attendees to be able to just be kids. In between the drills are large pizza parties and other meals, fun games and friendships. It’s all about balance, the former NBAer said.

But Wright’s favorite part of the camp is not the drills or the coaching, nor is it the essay contest or the marinara-laden lunches.

“It has to be the game of knockout,” he said.

The camp plays a massive sort of tournament, Wright explained, where the kids in the camp compete against each other to see who can knock down the most shots in a row.

“You get to see who really has that knack for scoring, who has that dog in ‘em,” Wright said. “There’s a winner for boys and girls. … And it’s huge, because the kids want the trophies. We give out those trophies and kids will hang onto them for a while. That was my mom’s idea.”

It seems clear that Wright simply loves the game of basketball. His affection for it is perhaps only rivaled by his love for Macon, the community he returns to serve regularly despite his current job as a basketball scout keeping him busy.

“I grew up in Unionville. I was born and raised here. I was always going to come back and do this, whether I made the NBA or not,” Wright said. “You know, we could have only done one. Or we could have stopped after 10 times. But I think this kind of thing can change lives.”

Wright said many former Southwest basketball figures — players, coaches, parents, whoever — often contribute to the camp. The organizers work with various organizations, from the Methodist Home to DFCS to local Boys and Girls clubs, to get kids a spot in the camp.

Even players from other schools will help get the word out and support the camp in various ways — though Wright makes it clear that there’s a special bond between the Patriots.

“We’re all about serving our community because that was something Coach (Don “Duck) Richardson taught us,” Wright said. “He made sure we gave back.”

Fitting then, that Wright will give back with his camp — a way of giving he so clearly loves — on the court at Southwest which is named for the beloved Coach Richardson.

The 478 Hoops Youth Basketball Camp runs from July 6-10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Southwest High School. Admission is $35 per camper.