On the Road with Mike: Arrivederci Riviera Basketball Camp

I’d like to thank Riviera Basketball Camp co-founders Lino Frattin and Ricky Morandotti for inviting me to participate in their youth skills camp in Rimini, Italy. They did a terrific job organizing and supervising all of the week’s activities. I also had a lot of fun working with my teaching partner Robert Horry. We had a great group of kids who all worked and played hard. I hope they enjoyed themselves while learning from some of the best in the biz and that they will return home with a renewed appreciation for the game, confidence in their abilities, and lasting memories from this unique experience.

On the Road with Mike: Riviera Camp

It’s been a terrific week so far at the Riviera Camp. Lino Frattin and Ricky Morandotti, one of the great Italian players, launched the basketball clinic for kids this summer. I had actually drafted Ricky when I was coaching the Hawks back in 1987 and we brought him over to our NBA training camp in the U.S. Ricky wound up returning to Italy and developing into an excellent player. My partner this week was 7-time NBA Champion Robert Horry, who played with the Rockets, Suns, Spurs and Lakers during his long and illustrious career.

Rimini is great. It reminds me of when I was growing up and I would visit my grandparents’ home in Seaside Heights on the Jersey Shore every weekend. It’s an incredible sight. In addition to a number of restaurants, shops and bars, there is a massive expanse of beach between the water and the streets filled with a sea of umbrellas organized by color: red, white, blue, green, yellow. Each section, which is about 30 yards wide and two football fields deep, is essentially a little business operated by groups or individuals who lease the spaces and then rent chairs, umbrellas and towels to beach-goers.

On the Road with Mike: Riviera Basketball Camp in Rimini

I’m excited to participate in the first annual Riviera Basketball Camp in Rimini, Italy along with P.J Carlesimo, Robert Horry and Devin Harris in addition to a number of top coaches and players from Italy.

Located in the Rimini Harbor on the Adriatic Sea, you can imagine how the marina, yachts, courts and beach create an incredibly unique and beautiful setting for this clinic.