At his first-ever basketball camp, Jalen Johnson took pictures with every kid, knowing the value of it.
"That means everything to me because I was once one of these kids," Johnson said. "I went to a Wesley Matthews camp growing up, so the interaction you have now with players you look up to and want to be like carries a long way. I'm just looking to make an impact any way I can, whether it's talking to them or helping them out on the court. I'm here for these guys now—it's time to make an impact in this community."
As a member of the Atlanta Hawks, the kids were eager to show him their skills.
"A lot of them say they'll dunk on me," Johnson said. "They tell me to do certain dunks. I'm not really warmed up yet, but it's all fun and games."
Watch: NBA star returns home to Wisconsin to give back:
Johnson's younger brother, Kobe, recently transferred from USC to rival UCLA and hopes to follow in his older brother's footsteps.
"The path for me is to make the NBA," Kobe Johnson said. "I think that's been my goal all my life. I'm just trying to do the work, put the effort in, and hopefully the results will show."
Entering his fourth NBA season, Jalen Johnson says he's still learning.
"Just becoming a pro, actually," Johnson said. "Understanding all the habits it takes, the professionalism you have to carry yourself with, whether you're playing a game or not. There are a lot of things I've learned, and I'm still learning every day."
But back in Milwaukee, Jalen knows his friends have split loyalties.
"Coming back home, sometimes I have a couple of guys cheering for the Bucks team-wise but cheering for me personally and individually," Johnson said. "But you know, it's fun."
Both Jalen and Kobe Johnson told the kids that the most important thing at their camp is to have fun—that's the key lesson to learn in the game they love.
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