David Lee to Return to Chappaqua for Summer Basketball Camp

Ex-Knick David Lee will be back in his old Westchester stomping grounds this summer.  

The 6-foot-9 Golden State forward, who is proving to be a pivotal off-season acquisition for the Warriors, has renewed his partnership with Teaches Hoops.

Despite his move to the West Coast last summer, Lee recently closed a deal enabling him to continue his fourth annual David Lee Basketball Camp at Robert E. Bell Middle School in Chappaqua. The camp is slated to run from Aug. 8 to Aug. 12.  

The former New York Knick All-Star had originally held camps at Sleepy Hollow High School in July. Due to a tight summer schedule and his high-order commitment to the Golden State Warriors franchise, however, one of the NBA’s elite young forwards will only be available to host the camp in August.  

“When he signed with the Warriors, or while he was going through signing with the Warriors, we were talking about the camp and the prospects of him returning to camp,” said Terry Teachout, the president and founder of Teaches Basketball Camps.  

Teachout also hosts camps with NBA players such as Daniel Gibson of the Cleveland Cavs and Andray Blatche of the Washington Wizards during the Teaches Hoops summer circuit.  

“David really enjoys it so much and loves the New York area so much," he said. "He told me he was going to maintain a place here. He has fun with camp, he enjoys it, which is evidenced by the fact that he’s there all the time from start to finish. We talked about him returning, barring any surprises, while he was going through a lot of changes in his life."

Though he may be playing on the West Coast, Teaches is proud to continue the David Lee Basketball Camp.

"This is one of the things he really wanted to keep in New York. He’s got a lot of friendships here, he remembers the kids names from the minute they walk in the door.”  

One difference in this year’s camp will be the Golden State Warriors presence. The organization provided campers with Golden State handbags, headbands and attire. 

The orange-and-blue Knicks colors of the camp shirts have been abruptly replaced with the golden yellow and royal blue, representative of the Golden State Warriors.   Lee’s decision to renew his partnership with Teaches Hoops is akin to when legendary Knicks guard John Starks continued his camp at Edgemont High School. Starks, like Lee, was a hard-working, fan favorite Knick who moved to the West Coast and playing for the Warriors.  

Lee, once the archetypal super sub who electrified Madison Square Garden with an array of loud dunks, has evolved by leaps-and-bounds the past few years. In his last year sporting orange-and-blue, Lee averaged a team-best 20.2 points and 11.7 boards. He was named to the East All-Star team. Lee has picked up where he left off this season, emerging as a key plug in the Warriors frontline.

Lee spoke to reporters from Patch and The Daily News last summer about his excitement surrounding the new system, teammates, and offense under Warrior head coach Keith Smart.  

"I'm extremely excited about the move," explained Lee, sitting inside a classroom at the Bell School on the first day of camp.  

"Stephen Curry is one of the best young guards in the league and will be one of the top guards in the future. Monta Ellis was the fifth leading scorer in the NBA last season. It's new ownership, I'm very excited to be out there."  

Numerous phone calls seeking Lee’s comment about the camp went unreturned. Since Lee his very first camp in Westchester County, which took place at Dobbs Ferry High School, it’s been clear that he’s developed strong ties with the kids and parents.  

Last summer at the Bell school, Lee could be found jumping in on 5-on-5 camper games and playing knockout with the kids. Lee participated in an entertaining, down-to-the-wire game of H-O-R-S-E with camp shooting instructor Jay White before the entire camp.

Lee extinguished any chances of White winning when he banked home a 30-footer that White could not match. A a buffet-line of kids then swarmed the behemoth athlete at the pace that bees do nectar.

“I think there’s a lot of excitement this summer because of the All-Star achievement that he’s received,” explained Teachout, a reputable local trainer who played at Duquesne University. 

“I mean, he’s still a double-double machine. He’s become a larger-than-life figure that is reachable to the kids. They don’t get that really from anybody in the celebrity world. He’ll come out there and shoot with them, rebound for them. He’ll remember their names, give out autographs, and hand them trophies.

The uniqueness of the camp really lies in where he handles the personal relationships with the kids. The kids really have good exchanges with him.” Teachout has not played organized basketball in recent memory, citing a men’s league in Thornwood a few years back as his last playing days. Still, he goes mano-e-mano with Lee before the kids every summer.  

For more information on Teaches Hoops and David Lee Camp, please visit www.teacheshoops.com or call 914-238-0278.