It’s probably safe to say that we all have a few key people that we think of when we are asked, ‘how did you get to where you are today?’



Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum is no different.



“E-Snow was actually there, he was present,” McCollum said as he hosted his 2018 Basketball Camp at the Beaverton Hoop YMCA.



When McCollum started thinking back to his childhood and the various camps he has attended, one particular camp stood out.



“When I was younger I always went to Eric Snow’s camp. He had a camp in our hometown. He would bring out teammates from the 76ers at the time,” McCollum said.



Snow and McCollum (both from Canton, Ohio) have the dedication to teach youth about the game and the valuable lesson of—"There’s more to life than just basketball."



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There’s a laundry list of what McCollum took away from Snow’s camps.



“Being able to dribble, shoot, pass, understanding the game, understanding timing of certain situations, when to pass, when to shoot, how to maneuver around screens,” McCollum said.



But it was more than just the basics that the now 26-year-old walked away with from the memorable camp.



“My attitude was a lot better. I wasn’t as emotional on the court,” McCollum said with a smile.



Over his 13-year NBA career, Snow played for the SuperSonics, 76ers, and Cavaliers. He is probably most remembered as the point guard alongside Allen Iverson when AI took the 76ers to the Finals and won the MVP honors back in 2001.



Yes, CJ has some very fond memories of his time spent with other players scrimmaging and doing various drills back in Canton.



“It was just fun for me to compete against kids my age, interact and see where I was at and try to get better,” McCollum reminisced.



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CJ has also taken some of what he has learned from Snow many years ago and applied it to his own camp in what he hopes to teach the wide-eyed kids of today.

“I think the basics: dribble, pass, shoot, understanding the team concept and that there’s more to life than just basketball. I think that’s what our counselors have been doing a great job of is preaching the golden rule, preaching the fact that you have to be able to listen, and do what you're suppose to do,” McCollum said.

And don’t be fooled, hosting camps takes a lot of hard working and planning.

“It’s a very exhausting week, but it’s a lot of fun. Three hundred kids plus and a lot of happy parents,” McCollum added.

Of course, there were certain specifics of E-Snow’s camp that McCollum will never forget.

“A lot of times you go to camps and the guys aren’t there or they show up for 30 minutes and leave. Him being there, having his hands in drills, you could tell that he helped put the plan together for each day and that he really cared, “ McCollum said.

By the looks of it, it seems CJ really cares too with his efforts to put together this comprehensive camp for Rip City youngsters and now Blazers fans know they have Snow to thank.