Grand Ledge's Basketball Family Casts Shadows for Next in Line | Lansing State Journal | Lansingstatejournal.Com

6/18/13 Growing up Horford: Grand Ledge's basketball family casts shadows for next in line | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com

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Growing up Horford: Grand Ledge's basketball family casts shadows for next in line Al Horford returns to host youth camp, with dad and brothers alongside

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1 Weekend recap: Bar 30 closes; Lansing man, 21, killed in shooting, and more

2 Michigan food stamp recipients would be hit hard by cuts

3 Bill guarantees Michigan military spouses time off Written by Graham Couch Al Horford enjoyed the questions directed his way from the inquisitive 4 Growing up Horford: Grand Ledge's children in front of him. In part, because he wishes he had gotten to basketball family casts shadows for FILED UNDER ask them. next in line SEponrtjsoy a limited number of “What size shoe do you wear?” 5 Lansing man, 21, killed in early articles over the next 30 days. Sunday shooting Subscribe today for full a“cWcehsast’s it like playing in the NBA?”

Current subscriber? Activate your account “As a kid, were you ever in a camp with an NBA player?” Most Viewed “No,” is Horford’s answer to that last question. “That was always one of my dreams.”

Horford spent the weekend back at Grand Ledge High School, where he starred a Related Links decade ago. Al and Jon Horford “Now I have the opportunity to do this here,” ADVERTISEMENT the Atlanta Hawks six-year veteran said Saturday, during the first of two days of his www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20130617/SPORTS/306170018/?nclick_check=1 1/5 6/18/13 Growing up Horford: Grand Ledge's basketball family casts shadows for next in line | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com youth basketball camp. “I went to high school here. My family is here. My brother is still going to school here in Grand Ledge.

“For our family, it was a no-brainer to do a camp like this.”

Horford was the main attraction this weekend, but the entire lineage was in the gym, from father, Tito, to high school sophomore-to-be

Purchase Image ZOOM Josh, who was one of the campers. Jon, with

Al and Jon Horford watch the action in a knockout drill two years left to play at Michigan, helped out, at the Al Horford Basketball Camp Sunday in Grand as well, in what the Horfords hope become an Ledge. / Robert Killips/Lansing State Journal annual event.

Al hosted the same camp two years ago at Court One Athletic Club and, two years before that, at Grand Ledge.

In the Lansing area, in this era, the Horfords are as close as there is to a first family of basketball, despite none of them having a connection with Michigan State.

Al is the lone current NBA player from mid-Michigan and Jon played important minutes for a team that reached the NCAA tournament final two months ago. Tito finished his brief NBA career 20 years ago.

Grand Ledge still matters to Al and Jon. And, of course, for Josh, who’s finding his way in the rather large shadows of his older brothers.

Unlike some NBA player-branded camps, Al said he isn’t taking a penny of the proceeds from this weekend. All of the participant fees are pegged for the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing and the Grand Ledge basketball program — which both Al and Jon would like to see have success greater than what they experienced during their high school days.

If that includes with Josh as a rising star, terrific. If he just plays a role, that’s fine with them, too. And, if their younger brother finds his passion in the culinary arts or 19th-century literature, Al and Jon are are on board with that, as well.

Each of these brothers have a common perspective — trying to live up to a great player in the family before them. And, in each case, the expectations surrounding them are compounded by the number of family members before them.

Al was six grades in school ahead of Jon, who’s six grades ahead of Josh.

All behind Tito, who clearly enjoys that all of his sons are involved in his sport.

“With Jon, it was a little harder, because we’re closer in age” said Al, who helped Florida to consecutive national championships before being selected by the Hawks with the third-overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. “A lot of people were telling him, ‘Well, your brother was doing this and that.’ And we used to talk on the phone, he’d call me and say, ‘Listen, I’m getting this (lumped on me).’ I was like, ‘Hey, www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20130617/SPORTS/306170018/?nclick_check=1 2/5 6/18/13 Growing up Horford: Grand Ledge's basketball family casts shadows for next in line | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com don’t worry about the comparisons, go out and play. There’s no pressure on you. Be the best player that you can.’”

Both are trying to do the same with Josh, who, as with his brothers, doesn’t have a big-time billing or build at a young age.

He may or may not become as tall as Al or Jon, both about 6-foot-10, or love the game to the same degree.

“I still think he’s developing that,” said Al, who turned 27 this month and said he approaches life different since being married more than a year ago. “In part, it’s pressure on him. And one of the things I’ve always instilled in him was not to try to imitate or do anything that we did, to kind of create his own path, and to have fun. I’ve always encouraged him to play other sports. If he wants to play basketball, to keep getting better, and, at this point, my biggest thing with him is just giving him confidence and making sure he keeps growing.”

Jon, who at age 21, is able to downplay the pressure he once felt, has a more philosophical view point.

“Even though we’re in the same family, we’re individuals,” Jon said. “People always expect people in the same family to be equally talented or equally as intelligent. But that’s just rarely the case. I feel like whatever he decides to do, we’re going to support him and as long as he’s enjoying himself, I don’t think anything else really matters.

“At the end of the day, it’s just a game. I tell him the most important things are to be a good person, to help other people and to be appreciative of the opportunities and the physical gifts that people can work their whole lives for and never get. … The good genetics, we have all that stuff.”

Athletically, that comes from Tito, who says he still gets nervous watching his sons play. This weekend, he was just happy to have them home.

“As a dad, I’m very proud of the way my kids, they’ve tried to follow in my footsteps,” Tito said. “I see Al, Jon and Josh, they want to be better people, they want to be better players.

“And right now, seeing my son coming back to Grand Ledge, all my three kids, I’m happy they’re here.”

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