Kelly looks to pass along wisdom to basketball players
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
When former Peddie School girls basketball coach Sean Casey founded his summer camp, Ryan Kelly was only beginning to play basketball.
Kelly, the nephew of the architect of the Peddie basketball program dynasty, is a shining example of where hard work can take a young player. Nineteen years after Casey started his camps, Kelly is coming off his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers and looking forward to imparting some wisdom on this year’s campers.
”For a kid that wants to get better at basketball, one of the most important things is more of what you can learn from camp and take from it than literally what you do in that day or those few days,” Kelly said. “If you can take even one thing and learn, it’ll make you a better player for the future. That’s what I was always taught. I’ve been to a gazillion camps since I was a young kid. The ones that made me better were the ones that I could take something from, whether it was on the court or with the mental approach.”
Kelly is due to return this summer to speak and help oversee the Sean Casey Basketball Skills Camp. It’s the second time that he has appeared at the camps that will be held in the Monroe Sports Center.
”What I want to do is partner with my uncle,” said Kelly, who averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 59 games played in his first NBA season. “It’s tough for me. I’m going to unrestricted or restricted if Lakers want to keep me. My uncle and I want to build a partnership and over time, me take over the camp more and more.”
Kelly was a guest speaker last year after graduating from Duke University, and he talked to the campers about finding something at which they can excel.
”I think that’s the message that hits home,” Kelly said. “A lot of kids, they’re at different ages, some are sent to see if they like the game of basketball, and some go to get better. I love this game. I tell them, you all have time to see what you love to do. It may be basketball, it may be something else. Once you figure it out, put yourself in every position you can to be great at it.”
For the 6-foot-10 forward, it has been basketball. But it wasn’t an easy road to the NBA.”They see I’m pretty tall and I can shoot the ball and think that’s given to me,” Kelly said. “I like to let kids know I wasn’t given anything other than my height. I’ve worked harder than most to get where I’m at.”
His path from Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, N.C., to Duke University and to the NBA has had its challenges. Even after a successful debut season, the challenges continue.
”This is going to be a huge summer for me,” Kelly said. “Summer is the time you get better. Last summer, I didn’t get to work out because of my foot. The summer before that, I didn’t get but a third of the summer (due to another break in his foot). To finally have a full summer to work on my game, to get bigger and faster and work on my game, I think I can make huge strides.”
Kelly enjoyed a change of pace as he was in the midst of preparing for the NBA draft when he spoke at last year’s camp.
”It’s an awesome break,” Kelly said. “It gives you a perspective of where you’re at. My family, not just my uncle, my family has been in coaching and teaching. My mom and dad have all been in sports. That’s something I’ve always enjoyed, being able to teach the game and being able to deal with kids.
”When my career is over, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I could see being a coach or being a part of the game. I think the education process is important for the kids and not just for the game, but what they can do for their future.”
Kelly’s own future was a bit uncertain when he spoke at camp last year. He had surgery to repair a broken foot for the second time, and it put him behind for the draft workouts and preseason. He wasn’t picked by the Lakers until the second round with the 48th pick overall, but he made the team and put up solid numbers.
”It’s certainly a big transition,” Kelly said. “You’re taking the best players from all the college teams and you add in all the foreign players. Guys are bigger and stronger and faster than you.
”I was in a funky situation. I was coming off a foot injury after my senior year. The Lakers were careful with me. I missed preseason camp. I had to work extra hard with my smaller opportunity. I had to show I deserved to be on the team. Being a second round pick, I didn’t have any guarantees. I had to earn every minute I got.”
It helped that he came from Duke. Both Duke and Los Angeles carry some weighty expectations.
”With Duke, it’s pretty well known across the country,” Kelly said. “People follow Duke basketball at a national level. It was pretty cool that I went to the Lakers. Everyone knows the Lakers. Both teams are expected to win championships every year. To go to one, and go to another at an even higher level at the professional level, it was fortunate to have that transition.”
Kelly found he could contribute consistently at the highest level. He closed the year with game highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds for the season. He is working to find himself a team for the 2014-2015 season while living in Los Angeles.
”They have to make me a restricted free agent by June 30,” Kelly said. “They have to give me a qualifying offer. Free agency hits July 1. If I’m restricted, the Lakers have the chance to match that offer.”
Kelly is a lower risk for NBA teams than he was a year ago after he’d come off breaks of his foot in back to back years. Doctors originally used too small of a screw in the first surgery, but Kelly feels optimistic after the second surgery worked last year.
”The biggest test that I had was I just played a full year on it,” he said. “It’s a lot longer than a college season. My doctors feel it’s not going to be broken in the future. Our team had quite a few injuries. I was one of the few healthy ones all year.”
Kelly sees big things ahead of him. He will get married this summer to his high school sweetheart, he hopes to ink another professional contract, and he’s hoping to be a bigger part of Casey Camp as he tries to have a positive influence on some young campers.
”I think I’ve been successful with my hard work,” Kelly said. “If I can give any snippet to help a kid improve, that’s what I would say — to learn one thing.”