SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – For Jimmy and Buddy Boeheim, returning to Syracuse each summer is about more than basketball.
At the fourth annual Boeheim Brothers’ Basketball Camp, dozens of young athletes ages 8 to 15 learned from two former Syracuse stars. While campers worked on shooting and ball handling, the brothers said the biggest lessons aren’t always found on the scoreboard.
Growing up in Syracuse, Jimmy and Buddy attended basketball camps where they looked up to Orange players, formed lifelong friendships and discovered that the game’s greatest lessons go beyond basketball. Those experiences inspired them to create a camp that gives today’s young athletes the same opportunity.
“For me, it’s the relationships and the experiences that come from basketball,” Buddy Boeheim said. “A lot that’s taught me about life has come from basketball … I’ve had so many relationships that are so much bigger than basketball that I’ll have for hopefully the rest of my life.”
For Jimmy Boeheim, those lessons started at home. He credits his father, former Syracuse men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim, with teaching him the value of hard work and perseverance from a young age. Now, as he and Buddy lead a camp similar to the ones they attended growing up, Jimmy said they’re focused on passing those same values on to the next generation.
“Whatever you’re passionate about, you just work as hard as you can at it to make it a reality,” he said. “That’s something my dad definitely always tries to echo here, so it’s just something we’re trying to pass along.”
For the Boeheim brothers, success isn’t measured only by better basketball players but by the character and sense of community campers carry with them long after they leave the gym.
Audio Transcript: Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim host annual Syracuse youth basketball camp
Madison Rogers: For dozens of young basketball players, today was about improving their game. But at the Boeheim Brothers Basketball Camp, Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim teach more than just a jump shot. Growing up in Syracuse, they were once the kids looking up to Orange players at camps just like this. Buddy says now they’re the ones hoping to inspire the next generation.
Buddy Boeheim: These kids love Syracuse basketball. They watched us when we were playing and they supported us. And so to just show that we’re there for them and that we want to see them be good players and good people more so than anything … it means a lot and we take a lot of pride in it.
Rogers: The brothers say some of the biggest lessons they learned weren’t about scoring points, but about discipline, resilience and building relationships that last long after the final buzzer. Jimmy says that message goes far beyond basketball.
Jimmy Boeheim: Whatever you’re passionate about, you just work as hard as you can at it to make it a reality. That’s something my dad definitely always tries to echo on here, so it’s just something we’re trying to definitely pass along.
Rogers: For the Boeheim brothers, returning home each summer isn’t just about running drills. It’s about carrying the same lessons that shaped them as young players. Reporting in Syracuse, I’m Madison Rogers.