MEMPHIS, Tenn — Campers at the Hoop City Basketball Club summer camp were in for a very special surprise, Thursday. NBA player and former Memphis Tiger Lester Quinones paid a visit to the campers.
Quinones took a break from offseason workouts to talk to kids, run some drills, play one-on-one and sign autographs. The guard said he remembers what it's like for someone in his position to give just a bit of their time.
"Just having those role models just all it takes is one person to inspire you when you're young," Quinones said. "Just the silly jokes, the laughing with them and joking with them I feel like is a great feeling to have."
Quinones was invited to the camp by Hoop City Basketball Club president, Ernie Kuyper. Kuyper is family with Quinones agent, Mike Miller.
Kuyper's AAU organization has sent hundreds of kids to play college basketball, but few things are better recruiters than NBA stars that return to Memphis.
"The only way this keeps going is people giving back and helping," Kuyper said. "It's not all about basketball, it's about hopefully building some confidence and I saw Lester doing that and that's great. It's a great thing to see."
Quinones just finished his first year in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, after dominating with the team's G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. He put up 21.3 points and 4.5 assist per game in his first G-League stint in 2022. Golden State upgraded him to a two-way contract and then a standard contract in 2023-2024.
The Warriors guard said the call up was overdue, but he's grateful for the opportunity.
"With the way I was hooping I feel like it should have come a little bit earlier, but like I said just being humble and letting the opportunity come," Quinones said. "I stayed consistent to the work every single day."
The former Tiger gave a lot of credit to Memphis head coach, Penny Hardaway, for his NBA success. Quinones played three years at Memphis and said Hardaway taught NBA level concepts to Quinones and the Tigers while they were on his roster.
Quinones can also relate to Hardaway's latest star, David Jones, who opted to keep his name in the 2024 NBA Draft. Quinones, who played on the Dominican Republic national team with Jones and was his housemate in high school, left Memphis after three years to pursue his pro career.
He understands the pressure to stay, but offered up advice to the Jones in his pro endeavors.
"Consistency man, just keeping consistency," Quinones said. "You can't get bored with it, this is a job and profession where the details matter."
"Having that discipline is the hardest part and that's why some people don't succeed, but just keeping that consistency and he'll be good."