77 magic number for Green’s camp

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Seventy-seven might not be a number that looks impressive when compared to the 300 plus that his camps in both Los Angeles and Portland accumulate each year, but for former Los Angeles Lakers great A. C. Green it’s perfect.

Being a highly spiritual man, Green has come to know the number 7 to be a number of completion. And for Green, who read page 777 of his Bible the morning before Game 7 of the 1987-1988 NBA Finals, the number seven signifies not only completion but perfection as well.

That magical 1987-1988 season saw the Lakers finish the regular season with a 62-20 record and a seventh consecutive Pacific Division title. And after sweeping San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs, Los Angeles was forced to seven games in each of their next three series before taking a 108-105 victory in Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons.

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“The number seven has always been a staple point in my life, ” Green said. And having 77 kids come out for this camp tells me that this is where the Lord wants me to be. It’s perfect.”

Of course there were over 100 kids that had pre-registered for Green’s first year camp in Demopolis, but in it’s first day only 77 showed.

“That may not seem like a really good number to some, but for me it really is perfect,” Green said. In my camp’s I strive for a 1:8 instructor-to-participant ratio, which allows for more individual attention. So the way it worked out was perfect.”

The 26 girls and 51 boys that showed up on day one of this year’s camp experienced the game of basketball, Iron Man style, with workouts beginning at 9 a.m. Friday morning and continuing till 3 p.m.

“I like it when I see them fatigued,” Green said. “That’s when I know I’ve done something.”

Camp participants were split into different age groups where both boys and girls competed with one another in a variety of games and drills, for Green doesn’t believe that only boys should play with boys.

“I don’t like to split up the girls from the boys because I feel that by playing together they challenge each other and both learn to respect each other,” Green said.

Today, Green will conclude his two-day basketball camp in Demopolis with another day of highly physical workouts that is sure to be nothing short of perfection.