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Want a break from trade speculation and the same old same old posts on CelticsBlog? Want an update on the players this summer that doesn't involve the police or injury updates? How about a nice story about how some players (and a new full time broadcaster) got to play with some kids who really needed a chance to be kids and have some fun?
Smart, the sixth overall pick at the NBA draft in June, was joined by fellow NBA rookies Joel Embiid and Jerami Grant of the Philadelphia 76ers, second-year player Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder and former Celtic Brian Scalabrine, who was visiting the camp for the 11th time. Their task on this day, more than teaching basketball, was to help the 182 campers – many of whom come from conflict areas in the Middle East or South Asia – remember that they are not yet adults. "You got kids here that want to have fun," said Smart, a 6-foot-3 guard. "They want to be around people who inspire them and have fun. And that’s why we’re here."
Smart grew up in the States, but he's no stranger to conflict and what it can mean to a young child. Nice to see that he's looking to make a small difference in the lives of children that need it.
"We're here to help the kids, support them in what they're going through, and to just make them happy," said Embiid, as Pharrell Williams' hit song "Happy" played in the background.
Update: The Celtics has a nice little feature called #SocialCeltics on their website where they track and highlight their player's notable posts on social media.