If you think New York Knicks' Marcus Camby has skills on the court, watch him score even more points in the classroom with his educational efforts!

Camby is a Shot-Blocking, Education-Topping Talent
By Frank Schrecker
November 2001

The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- So what do you think New York Knicks center Marcus Camby wants to be when he "grows up?" None other than a public school principal, he says. After all, this high-flying, acrobatic athlete majored in education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, before earning As on the court.

It's no wonder Camby's scoring points with kids across his hometown of Hartford, CT, and Harlem, NY, with the Cambyland Foundation project. Thanks to his sisters, Mia and Monica, who oversee the Foundation while he's grabbing rebounds, Cambyland has provided Harlem youngsters with tickets to Knicks home games throughout the season and held a Thanksgiving contest at his "adopted" school, Harlem PS 194, which gave away 150 turkeys to needy families. When he isn't on the court, Camby's hands-on with the Foundation -- he took those same needy families to the NBA store before Christmas and bought them gifts.

Camby even started a student-athlete scholarship at his alma mater of Hartford Public High School to help graduating seniors further their education. Plus, he looks back with pride on his days of teaching math and English at public school, and can't wait to return to the classroom.

He was breaking records both on and off the court even back during his UMass days. He was named College Basketball Player of the Year in 1996, and it seems as if his humanitarian average keeps on rising. The illustrious #23 recently teamed up with New York Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon and NBA Commissioner David Stern to read Clifford's Good Deeds and Leola and the Honeybears to children at New York's PS 194.

And, back in September, with the start of the new school year, his Foundation sponsored "March with Marcus," an event designed to encourage and reward students for attending and excelling in school. Camby took a break from training camp to meet with students from PS 194 at Colonel Young Park and then proceeded to walk with them for their first day of class. Following the march, Camby handed out school supplies and gave the students words of encouragement for the upcoming year. Just recently, he was named the national spokesman for the NBA's Back-to-School initiatives.

"I feel that if the kids can see me, an NBA player, get up early in the morning and walk them to school, it hopefully can be contagious," says Camby.

Now... that's a slam dunk -- for academics and athletics!