ABC Adidas All-Star Basketball Camp UK 1996 1997

Does anyone remember the Adidas ABC (UK) Basketball camp from around 1996/1997?

It was a fantastic week-long basketball summer camp which I took part in way back when… somewhere in the Midlands… but all I remember was some ‘guest coaching’ by Kobe Bryant‘s dad. Would love to hear other people’s memories of this and see any photos that exist.

My online research has only brought me to the US-based ABCD camps (not sure what the lack of a D implied in my one). But these are not the same thing. I’m convinced there must be something hidden online somewhere, but I’m yet to find it. Any clues?

My only t-shirt which I still have from back then is in the photo.


Comments

16 responses to “Does anyone remember the Adidas ABC (UK) Basketball camp from around 1996/1997?”

  1. Hey man, I found this post trying to find the same information as you as to where the 90s Adidas ABC camp I attended as a teenager was. Sounds like we were at the same camp! I remember Joe Bryant being a coach and also the guest NBA star was AC Earl who was a soon to be Toronto Raptors player at the time (who was a replacement for Elliot Perry of the phoenix suns). I still have my ABC camp t shirt and a couple of the balls we got for attending (a black Adidas ball and an Adidas ‘world’ ball). I cannot for the life of me remember where the camp was held though at all. My only memory was that it was a place that I believe was used for the special common wealth games/Olympics prior to the camp. Sorry I can’t be much more help than this.

    1. Adam Avatar
      Adam

      Great to hear there’s someone else out there who took part 🙂 I was fascinated by all the free Adidas stuff back then. Are you still playing any ‘veteran’ ball now?

      1. Lucien Avatar
        Lucien

        Yeah there was a lot of free stuff. I still have the back and the t shirt and also two of the balls we got. I remember there was the Adidas ‘world’ balls and some of us got to take them away at the end. Really wish I could remember where the camp was, I remember so much of it but also crazy I don’t recall the location. I remember there being a demonstration by some guys in a wheel chair basketball team also. I stopped playing basketball a couple of years ago with having kids and work commitments. I was 13/14 when I attended the camp but I’m 38 now. Depressing. So many good memories. Basketball in the UK was huge then. I’m not sure if there were any further ABC camps after that one? I only attended local camps the next couple of years then two camps at a university in the states.

        1. Lucien Avatar
          Lucien

          Also the difference between the ABC and the ABCD camps was the D was an invitational camp for the best players to show case their talents, LeBron, Melo and Lenny Cooke etc. Our UK ABC camp we had to pay for to attend.

  2. Marwan Avatar
    Marwan

    Just yesterday I found the sticker among my old stuff. And here I am searching for thr ABC camps. Some good old days.
    Note I didnt attend the UK ABC, but the purpose is the same, trying to figure out what happened to it

  3. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    Hey guys, found this looking for photos 2! I attended 2 ABC camps when I was about 13/14 and they were in Aylesbury. I’m 39 now and coaching youth ball, fantastic memories. I met another coach recently who coached at the camp. I’ll reach out and see if he has any photos. Free Adidas stuff was amazing, I still have my all star t shirt and camp report criticizing my passing!

    1. Adam Avatar
      Adam

      Thanks for the contact Greg! Yep we’re all getting on a bit now! We need to organise a Senior version.

  4. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Still got my ball and folder from ABC Camp! Great experience i’ll remember forever.

    1. Adam Avatar
      Adam

      Thanks for the contact Mike!

  5. Glenn Lumsden Avatar
    Glenn Lumsden

    Loved the Adidas camps, ran for a few of the years by one of my old coach’s Curtis. Xavier at Loughborough Uni, I was too young my first year but still allowed to play and won the Most Improved Player award, still got the golden ball but started to flake now. Was a great few weeks of basketball, highlight probably playing one on one and getting shooting pointers with Joe Bryant (Kobe’s dad) and Jermaine O’Niell

    1. Adam Avatar
      Adam

      Thanks for getting in touch Glenn… it seems we’re getting more and more people on here.

  6. Kvrvc Avatar
    Kvrvc

    I also remember all the free Adidas gear especially the Kobe trainers….
    Can’t remember any NBA star’s there though…I used to attend run press run camp that. Curtis Xavier ran…

    1. Glenn Avatar
      Glenn

      Yeah did the Run Press Run camps as well, loved my KB8 trainers

      1. Perry Indge Avatar
        Perry Indge

        Oh man! I just found this page as I was there in 97 as a 15 yr old!
        Curtis Xavier was the main guy and i still had the shoes and reversible blue and red kit until a year ago or so lol.
        I played in the All star game and won Best Defensive Player that year lol.
        Missed two freethrows in that game as well. Lol.
        Ah man. I do miss playing. Hope some of you are still doing it!

  7. Lucien Avatar
    Lucien

    It’s funny to me that there are a few people now in their mid to late 30s still searching about these ABC UK camps after all these years. One of the posters above mentioned that the camp was in Aylesbury which jogs my memory now and would make sense as I was from Hertfordshire.

  8. Lloyd Hole Avatar
    Lloyd Hole

    Hi guys, the mid 30’s made me feel old ?, 41 now. I went to both the run press run/ abc camps in Loughborough. Got myself the crazy 8 purple kobes, ball a couple of T shirts. Still have a massive light blue run press run one I bought and never grew into. I was in the NBA/older division with the Sonics (coach Quasi?) and Jazz (Coach Mike) not sure which way round but won the division both years. There was a girl Lauren/Laura I think who won the first year with me and we faced off the second. Remember some kid called Tristan won mvp one of them for a scholarship I think. Curtis Xavier ran them and tracked down Paul Douglas (Dougie) a while back trying to get any copies of photos or film as I’m sure the finals were filmed. Awesome time. My pal Gav got an allstar game shirt too in the Ncaa game, jammie git hit a halfway line shot at the buzzer of half time.

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