Basketball Pointers From A Living Legend

Unlike other sports where strength is sometimes more important than skill, in basketball players can find success through skills and playing intelligently.

This July, California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA) Hall of Fame inductee George Terzian will be holding his 40th annual Pasadena Bulldog Basketball Camp at the Pasadena Nazarene Church Gym.

“We really focus on the fundamentals of basketball: shooting, ball handling, passing, defense, play defense is fundamental, playing the low post, taking the charge, all those fundamentals,” says Terzian.

Terzian also points out that each drill is done everyday and that “there are about a hundred different things that we teach and we repeat them each day.”

After practicing the fundamental skills for three hours a day, games are played so that each player can try to utilize those same skills on the court.

“So we go three hours fundamental, one hour of game and by the end of the week, each kid has made a huge game. And then the last day, we give an evaluation of all those skills and they can use that written evaluation to practice their skills all year,” says Terzian.

Kids who attend the basketball camp are way ahead the other kids, says Terzian, “because they not only have committed to that one week of fundamentals but they’re working on those skills outside of camp each day for a half hour to an hour.”

Thousands have attended the Bulldog Camp and many have emerged successful in the sport. “We’ve had some great ones. From Michael Horton to Chris Holden, Michael Cooper, Dale Cook. The Murrays, Tracy Murray and his brother, a lot of kids come to that camp and had profited,” says Terzian.

The Pasadena Bulldog Camp will be held at the Nazarene Church Gym at 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Age groups will be from 2nd grade through 8th grade for boys and girls, with the 5-day session to cost $200.

To learn more, call (626) 798-3773 or email dterzian@charter.net.