NBA players are some of the top athletes on the planet. They take incredible care of their bodies year-round and stick to intense training and diet regimens. Sometimes, they take the time to remind us just how far above the average person they are from an athletic standpoint, and that is precisely what members of the LA Clippers did this week in Los Angeles.
Southern California is a massive community, and there are endless opportunities for competition in the form of pickup basketball games. But some of the highest-level scrimmages can be found at the University of California, Los Angeles. Clippers players recently showed up to UCLA to participate in organized pickup runs.
These runs were put on by former UCLA guard and current Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Rico Hines. He began hosting summer games at the second-floor gym of the UCLA Student Activities Center years ago, bringing together every level of basketball player from NBA All-Star all the way to passionate park hooper, with the common goal of helping guys accomplish their dreams.
Clippers players participated in Rico Hines' UCLA runs
The way Hines sets up his runs are unique, and it clearly appeals to even the most seasoned professionals. Scoring the winning point does not automatically bring victory, as the player must make an additional free throw or the ball goes back to the other team.
Many accomplished NBA players have been drawn to Hines' competition over the years, including Los Angeles native Russell Westbrook. This week, the UCLA gym saw James Harden, Derrick Jones Jr., Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, Cam Christie and Elijah Harkless of the San Diego Clippers all come out to participate in some pickup action.
No video of the scrimmages have been made public yet, but several photos were captured depicting the Clippers players getting into it, and competing pretty hard from the look of it. Most of the players pictured were wearing some sort of Clippers team gear while playing.
With James Harden being the eldest of the group participating, it stands to reason that he took the lead in bringing the rest of the guys out to have a day at the gym. It is clear that this team is already bonding and growing their chemistry with one another.