Pat Connaughton remembers where he came from

Arlington, Massachusetts native and Portland Trail Blazers guard Pat Connaughton is all about community. During the All-Star break, instead of vacationing and recharging his batteries before needing to reunite with the team in Orlando, he spent the day back home running his “With Us” camp.

Prior to being to making it at the NBA level, Connaughton was a four-year man (2011-2015) for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. While donning the green and gold on the court and baseball field, Connaughton became an important piece the school at both sports. He still currently has the option to go pro in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles. On the court he was known for his 44-inch vertical, silky jump-shot, athleticism, and “The Block.” Oh yeah, he also helped the Fighting Irish win their first Conference Championship (ACC) in school history back in 2015, during his senior campaign.

After college, Connaughton was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets with the 41st pick in the 2015 draft. He was subsequently traded to the Blazers in a deal which included Mason Plumlee (now with Nuggets), Steve Blake (retired) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Throughout his rookie year, Connaughton didn’t see the court much and not much has changed this season. However, he’s using his NBA opportunity to make a difference.

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Using both basketball courts provided by Belmont Hill (the host school for the camp) Connaughton helped facilitate drills with members of his former AAU team the Middlesex Magic.

From taking kids in grades three through nine through a series of shooting drills, to getting low and doing defensive slides, Connaughton went through it all as if he were a camper himself. His playful attitude kept things light for the campers. Even the simplest of dunks –a one-hander off one foot or a double-pump off two — was enough to inspire awe. He was teacher, friend, and entertainer.

It was all a family vibe, with Connaughton saying hello and embracing everyone he could. He and Coach Mike Crotty, head coach of the Magic, made it a laid back environment for everyone in attendance.

The goal was to make a mark on those kids participating at the camp and to continue the growth of his foundation. From the perspective of Connaughton, it’s to assist disadvantaged kids and those that need help to remain motivated despite their life circumstances.

“The idea for that came from just giving back to the places I came from,“ said Connaughton on how the foundation began, sporting his black National Basketball Player’s Association shirt. “It specifically adapted to kids. I think it’s important to get kids involved at a young age and show them with hard work and dedication you can reach your goal, reach your dreams. For some kids, it might not be sports, it might be something else. But to show them just an example of somebody who was in their shoes that got his dream of being a professional athlete.”

The foundation started in Massachusetts, where Connaughton grew up, but the goal is to reach as many people as possible from all walks of life. Their mission has garnered attention and created partnerships with the likes of Nike, Notre Dame, the Blazers and more. Connaughton is attempting to maximize what he can of his national profile to make his imprint on the lives of others, and realizes that being there for someone is more important than a basketball game.

“The name of it ‘With Us’ is kind of the whole idea of keeping everyone inclusive,” said Connaughton. “It really screams to the fact that I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without the people around me today and everyone kind of needs someone to show them the way. ‘With Us’ the goal is to make a difference in the next generation and the kids that are coming up. At the end of the day, family is so important and ‘With Us’ you can have a family away from your family.”

Connaughton hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from, or the community that helped him along the way. On Twitter, before the NBA All-Star break, Connaughton posted an image of a black on black varsity jacket which says “ARLINGTON” at the top and “MA” in the middle. Wherever he is, he’s going to represent and let his hometown be known.

Connaughton also stays in the loop of what goes on with basketball back home, even from across the country. His alma mater, St. John’s, was playing Boston College High School, better known as BC High, for the Catholic Conference title while he was in town. Connaughton showed up at the game to watch. Unfortunately, his team lost in overtime by two.

“One of the things I pride myself on is not forgetting where I came from,“ said Connaughton. “Some of the best experiences that I had in high school, playing vs. the Catholic Conference or playing in state championships, state tournaments in football, basketball, baseball, whatever it may be. Those were some of the best experiences of my athletic career.”

Growing up, Connaughton played basketball at the local gym, Fidelity House To him it was everything, despite it’s modesty — there was only one bench which required everyone else in attendance to stand. The small gym is where some of the greatest moments for Connaughton occurred. Years later, he still recalls being beaten badly by teams from surrounding areas such as Concord, Lynn, Roxbury, Lawrence and more.

Roxbury, a town located inside of Boston about a 30-minute drive away from Arlington, is the hometown of Shabazz Napier, Connaughton’s teammate with the Trail Blazers. The two competed against each other in high school and played a pick-up game he’ will never forget inside of a packed Mission Hill gym. Connaughton said the game was, “one of the best basketball experiences of my life, probably the greatest.”

Connaughton wasn’t always on NBA radars. In the summer between his junior and senior season, he only had one basketball offer which was to local Division II school Bentley. After heading to Florida for an AAU tournament, his name gained traction and the rest became history.

“I had no ties to professional sports. I wasn’t a kid that was expected to become a pro in one or two sports. For me, kind of seeing the kids and seeing where I came from and trying to help them and show them that no matter how big you dream you can really get there if you work on it and if you have the right people around you and if you take advantage of every single day.”

“I was never the best kid at these camps. I was just one of the kids that were just trying to get better. To show them that at these clinics and bring them together and coach them from some of the people that helped me get to where I am is something I think will benefit them whether it’s athletics or academics or a mixture of both.”

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Connaughton relayed that he “was never the best kid at these camps” but worked as much as possible in his craft to reach the highest level possible which became the NBA — a message that hopefully was taken to heart by the kids at his camp, regardless of how far their athletic careers will carry them. Hard work is a universal value.