Hornets Kidd-Gilchrist speaks from heart at Whitfield’s hoops camp

INDIAN TRAIL, NC (WCCB Charlotte) — Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist gave kids at Hornets president Fred Whitfield’s basketball camp exactly what they wanted to hear.

The truth.

The honest truth about the way the way Michael Kidd-Gilchrist came into the NBA was somewhat of a disappointment. He was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats — the exact team he did not want to go to.

“I was praying Charlotte wouldn’t pick me,” MKG said with a chuckle. “That was the only thing, but I’m happy I am here now.”

Maybe seven wins the previous season, setting the record for the worst win percentage in NBA history, had something to do with that.

Kidd-Gilchrist was a guest speaker at Whitfield’s 32nd annual Achievements Unlimited Basketball School held at Carolina Courts in Indian Trail on Tuesday afternoon. The vision for the camp was to teach fundamental basketball skills while leveraging that platform to place an even stronger message around the value of academics and extreme importance of taking a stance against drugs.

“Anybody and everybody has a passion,” Kidd-Gilchrist told the kids. “I don’t care who you are and what you do. My passion was to be the best that I can be, even if it wasn’t basketball.”

The Achievments Unlimited Basketball School is for boys and girls ages 8 to 17. It’s easy for Kidd-Gilchrist to speak in front of the next generation because he feels he’s a kid at heart.

“I’m just like them and vice-versa. Anything is possible if you work extremely hard at what you love to do.”

Kidd-Gilchrist has had to work hard over the last two years as he’s battled back from a torn labrum in his right shoulder on two separate occasions.

“I feel extremely, extremely well,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “I had a hard season personally, I am more than happy for my team and their success this year. Just seeing that just makes me want to work harder and harder during the summer time.”

Kidd-Gilchrist is expected to be a defensive stopper for the Hornets in 2016-17. He is under contract through the 2018-19 season and has a player-option built in for the following year after that.