LAKE WALES — His story is well-known around Polk County, especially Lake Wales and Bartow.
He was the athletic phenom who began high school playing basketball and football at Lake Wales, receiving power-five offers in football before the end of his sophomore season, leading Lake Wales to the regional finals in basketball before focusing on basketball at Bartow his final two season and winning back-to-back state titles.
Then, after a two-year stop playing for Rick Pitino at Iona, it was on to Gainesville where he led the Florida Gators to a national title his senior season. His decision to focus on basketball paid off even more as a first-round NBA draft choice and finally ending up in Memphis by the end of his rookie season.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, Walter Clayton Jr. was back to where it all began at Lake Wales High School. With training camp for his sophomore NBA season just under two months away, Clayton, through his foundation, held his first basketball camp where more than 80 youths participated. The camp brought back memories.
“Dominique Jones threw him a camp whenever I was younger, so I definitely remember that,” Clayton Jr. said. “Being in here, I was in the same, same seats as these kids, so it’s a great feeling to be able to come back and do one of my own.”
Lake Wales high school athletic director Josh Havens said he got a call out of the blue from Clayton, asking to use the gym for the event.
“We needed a space to use and, thankfully, they allowed us to use, the gym,” Clayton said. “Obviously next year we’re going to want the whole Polk County to come out. I’m from Lake Wales. I grew up here. This is my hometown, so I definitely wanted to start it, here.”
It was paying it forward as coaches and mentors of Clayton from his days in both communities, Lake Wales and Bartow, and family members — including his 2 1/2-year-old daughter Leilani, mother Cherie Quarg and girlfriend Tatiyana Burnery — were on hand as he worked with the young boys and girls of today.
Clayton, who battled a knee sprain earlier in the summer but is now 100%, has been working this summer to prepare for his sophomore NBA campaign with the Memphis Grizzlies. Training camp begins Sept. 29. He got to the NBA by setting high standards, and this standard remains as he looked back on his rookie season.
“I’ll say I gained some experience, obviously,” he said. “I’m pretty honest about my rookie season. I know that I’m better than what I showed. I’m just glad I got the experience that’s going to help me going into next year.”
Clayton plays 69 games as a rookie, 45 with Utah and 24 with Memphis as a late-season trade. Overall, he averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 assists. With Memphis, however, he averaged 25 minutes per game and averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 assists.
After shooting 44% overall from the field and 38% from 3-point range as a senior at Florida, Clayton’s shot was off in his initial NBA campaign as he shot 38.4% overall and 30.7% from long range.
“Obviously my shot wasn’t falling, and that’s basically what I’m known for is shot making,” he said. “So, I definitely got to get back to that, and they’ll fall. I’ve been putting in the work, putting up the reps, so they’ll fall.”
Clayton said the two main things he’s been focused on is wanting to improve is his condition and his decision-making.
A big difference going into his second season is he knows what to expect as an NBA player. It can be a culture shock for most players in going from high school and college to the NBA.
“It’s on you at the end of the day,” he said. “College is kind of like one of those things where you just got to show up. Everything’s kind of mapped out for you. It’s pretty easy to get a routine. It’s kind of hard to get a routine in the NBA. You play 82 games, you’re on the road a lot more, in a different city every other night. Some nights you forget your hotel room number. It’s definitely just adjusting to that, learning a routine that’s going to help your body stay good through 82 games.”
Clayton got an extra round of learning to adjust when he was acquired by Memphis in a blockbuster trade that involved eight players and multiple draft picks.
“I had all the vets telling me for two weeks, deadline’s coming up, rookies don’t get traded, you’re fine, and the next thing you know I’m getting that call that I’m one of the ones in the package,” he said. “But you know, I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know. I was somewhere in between there.”
Clayton said he’s ready camp to start and is looking to build on the experiences of his rookie season.
“I just got to get back to being myself, being aggressive, making the right plays and guard on the other end,” he said. “So just that’s my mindset, just be yourself.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Walter Clayton giving back to community ahead of 2nd NBA season
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
