DETROIT – Greg Kelser, former NBA player and current FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Pistons color analyst, has had a life revolved around basketball.
From winning the 1979 NCAA National Championship alongside Magic Johnson, going against Larry Bird, to being selected by the Pistons as the fourth pick in the NBA draft, Kelser’s passion for basketball has allowed him to have a massive impact on the sports community.
Youth basketball camp
Children may see him on TV for Pistons games, but they can catch him in person at his basketball camp, where he’s teaching kids the fundamentals of basketball and strong character.
“Sports has helped shape me,” said Kelser. “In sports, everything isn’t always going to go your way. You’re going to have some pitfalls, going to have some losses, you’re going to have to get up and dust yourself off, that’s life. But sports sort of prepares you for that,” Kelser added.
The camp is open to boys and girls ages 7-17 in West Bloomfield, Southfield, and Pontiac.
“In the morning were going to break the game down, were going to teach you the various aspects because you want to be a well-rounded basketball player and then in the afternoon you get a chance to play games against your campmates to see if you can show us what you’ve learned.”
WNBA returns to Detroit
Aside from the camp, Detroit basketball is officially re-expanding to the WNBA in 2029. Kelser explained how excited this makes him for the city:
“You can’t tell the WNBA story in terms of what Detroit meant to the WNBA in its early stages, winning three championships.” Kelser plead. “History doesn’t erase itself. The women’s game has come so far ... having it back in Detroit is going to really be a boom for the city but for the sport as well.”
Pistons free agency
As for the Pistons, today is the first day of free agency. Kelser explained to us that everyone returning to the 2025 roster will be expected to do even more. However, the team received some unfortunate news as guard Malik Beasly is under federal investigation for gambling allegations on NBA games.
“That was shocking. For me, it’s a reminder that that’s life... I hope that it’s something that turns out to be very minor because for him his career had been resurrected last year, Kelser explained. “For the team it’s a major distraction right now. You hope it diminishes by the time training camp comes around. It is a reminder that you’ve got to be aware of the decisions you make, because they can be detrimental if you’re not careful.
Kelser continues to leave his mark on Detroit basketball. Not only as a broadcaster or player but as a mentor to the next generation. You can find the registration to his camp on his website.