Detroit Pistons Youth Academy Basketball Camp Wraps Up at St. Joseph High School

# Detroit Pistons Youth Academy Basketball Camp Wraps Up at St. Joseph High School

The Detroit Pistons Youth Academy basketball camp wrapped up its two-day event on Friday at St. Joseph High School, with over 80 campers from across Southwest Michigan in attendance. The camp, hosted by the Harbor Impact Foundation, aimed to bridge the communities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor through basketball, a sport that founder Rodney Alexander Jr. grew up with and felt a deep personal connection to.

What Happened?

The camp concluded with a performance from the Pistons' Extreme Team Dunk Squad and an awards ceremony for campers. Jordan Lee, a camper who was named the week's MVP, said he didn't know anyone before the week began but left having made numerous new friendships. He said the experience was as much about personal growth as it was about improving on the court.

Why It Matters for Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons Youth Academy basketball camp is part of the team's efforts to give back to the community and provide opportunities for young players to develop their skills. The camp's focus on bridging the communities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor is particularly noteworthy, given the team's recent struggles on the court. Last result: Detroit Pistons 94-125 Cleveland Cavaliers (2026-05-18). Recent form (last 5): 2W-0D-3L (LLWWL, most recent first); lost the last 2.

What Comes Next?

The Harbor Impact Foundation, which hosted the camp, has been working to connect the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor communities through basketball and other initiatives. The foundation has grown to include AAU programming, camps, and mentoring, helping more than 30 students earn college scholarships. As for why people should come to the camp next year, Lee said, "It's super fun, super. You can do a lot here. You'll get better and every day. The coaches are super cool, nice, all that stuff, and you'll learn a lot about basketball."

The dunk squad's performance drew loud crowd reaction from campers and family members in attendance. "It was crazy. They were they were just doing crazy stuff, doing windmills and stuff. It was crazy," said Lee. Campers received t-shirts and other memorabilia throughout the event, and several families were seen playing basketball together with campers after the formal camp activities concluded.

The Harbor Impact Foundation was founded in 2022 to connect the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor communities through basketball and has since grown to include AAU programming, camps, and mentoring, helping more than 30 students earn college scholarships. Alexander Jr. said, "I didn't do this by myself. I took my team, myself, Linda, Brian, Jana, Kevin. It took all of us to actually make this happen." (ABC57's Brian Conybeare is the President of the Harbor Impact Foundation.)