Magic’s Carter Jr
Growing up with a passion for basketball, Wendell Carter Jr. was lucky sufficient to have the opportunity to go to youth camps hosted by NBA players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul.
Carter parlayed what he found out during those training sessions with his natural size and skillset into an effective pro career that’s entering its eighth year.
Understanding the impact those camps had on him in the past, the Magic center has actually continued to give back to the youth in the city of Orlando and his hometown of Atlanta.
It’s why on Saturday, Carter Jr.’s A Platform2 Structure hosted its 4th annual hoops camp at Whitefield Academy in Atlanta for free for student-athletes in grades 8 through 12.
“It means a lot to them,” Carter told the Sentinel over the phone about the camp. “The easiest effect is simply me showing up, being here, feet on the ground, remaining in front of them, joking with them, chuckling with them, being on the court rebounding. … It’s those minutes. And I’m not saying every kid out here is going to go to the NBA or anything like that, however it’s about those moments. They’re kids. These are minutes, ideally, they’ll never forget.
“The truth that I have the ability to belong of the kids’ lives and be able to help them to change the trajectory of their lives or continue their trajectory in the upward instructions, it indicates a lot,” he added.
Previously this year, Carter was acknowledged by the NBA as the winner of the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for January.
Most of Carter’s community work connects to another passion from his youth. Last August, Carter’s structure hosted the Flight 34 Aviation Occasion to offer Orange County Public School trainees with an intro to air travel.
Carter’s structure exists “to offer youth and households with curricula, resources and tools that effect and elevate their quality of life,” according to its site.
“One of the reasons I started my structure was to teach kids how to be expert beyond the sports realm with us dialing into the STEM programs to aviation, offering kids different opportunities to ending up being different kinds of professionals,” he stated. “However at the end of the day, basketball is my first love.
“The reality that I’m able to bring kids out to be able to just have fun, get up and down the court a bit, get some physical fitness in, it constantly feels excellent understanding that they’re out there having a good time,” he added.
Back in Atlanta, Carter saw lots of kids come out for the complimentary camp in addition to a few of his former high school coaches. Carter participated in Speed Academy before taking his talents to Duke for one year.
“Just the assistance, it certainly means a lot and I never ever take it for approved,” he said.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com!.?.! Originally Released: June 8,
2025 at 8:30 AM EDT