Sports

NBA Guard Thrills NorthSport Campers

Long Island native and Indiana Pacers guard A.J. Price shows off some skills and talks up the basketball campers at NorthSport.

NBA players are locked out.

But that didn’t keep Indiana Pacers point guard A.J. Price from getting in a little gym time Thursday at . 

Price, 24, one of the best big-game players in Long Island high school sports history, stopped by the Northport basketball camp to speak with the young ballers and show off his skills.

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The 6-foot, 2-inch Price, from Massapequa, starred at Amityville High School before a memorable career at UConn. He won state championships and went to an NCAA Final Four.

“I’m waiting for work, waiting for us to get a deal done,” said Price, who still calls Long Island home. “In the mean time I'm just working out, making sure I’m in the best shape possible.”

Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Price just finished his second pro season with the Pacers, where he averaged 6.5 points and 2.2 assists off the bench. He’s also overcome a slew of serious medical issues, including a fractured left kneecap last off-season.

“I’ve only had four months to rehab my knee,” Price explained. “I knew what I was going into the season with – basically one and a half legs. I did whatever I could with whatever I could.”

The NorthSport campers didn’t seem to mind. Price showed off his three-point shot, ran the floor with the kids and even played a game of one-on-one before getting mobbed for an autograph.

“I left on a high note,” Price said. “People’s last impression of me was playing well in the playoffs. I got that going for me right now.”

Price was talking about the NBA and Indiana’s first-round playoff series against Chicago. But he might well have been alluding to his time at NorthSport.

He made a lasting impression.


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