Basketball Dribble Goggles

He's living proof

LATHROP — Living Proof stands roughly 6 feet tall, owns one NBA championship and has two of the world's top basketball players on speed dial.

Paging Kevin Durant ... Paging Russell Westbrook ...

Living Proof also knows the virtues of home and humility, which is why Living Proof spent the hours after the NBA Draft not raising champagne glasses or burning the midnight oil with front-office suits, but counting sheep on a red-eye to California.

So there he was, East Union's own Scott Brooks, jet-lagged but peppy, working the hardwood at Lathrop High's main gym on Friday afternoon.

Brooks stood beneath the bucket, a ball tucked under his left arm, delivering life lessons disguised as basketball drills.

He spoke pointedly about the value of practice and the basics — dribbling, passing and shooting — and what it meant to be a good teammate and friend, on the court and off.

In between, he played the crowd, a wide-eyed bunch of grade-schoolers from Manteca Unified School District sitting along the baseline, many of whom wore Thunder gear.

"Look at me," Brooks said, slapping a basketball back and forth, between his legs and behind his back. "I'm an old man. Haven't played in 15 years."

Some giggled. Some leaned forward, hypnotized by the dizzying rate of speed.

"All you need is a ball and 15 minutes," he said. "If you work on it for 15 minutes, I promise you will be the best dribbler in your class, maybe your town ... maybe the world."

One day after the NBA Draft and following another whirlwind season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooks returned to his roots on Friday — a basketball court in Lathrop.

"It was a looong night, let me tell you," he said, squinting through tired eyes. "My neighbor on the plane can tell you just how long a night it was. I slept the whole way."

If he felt like a zombie, or was in desperate need of an energy drink, no one was the wiser.

You don't become Living Proof by taking days off.

The former NBA Coach of the Year and East Union High legend led instruction on the final day of the MUSD Basketball Camp, providing 53 campers and a collection of high school coaches with the NBA experience.

"You can't simulate this," Lathrop High athletic director Bill Slikker said. "We have some good coaches here from around the area, but what an opportunity to have an NBA coach in Scott. He goes above and beyond for these kids. We can't thank him enough.

Basketball Dribble Goggles (Black) (12345)

Dribble Goggles are designed to block the lower line of sight so that the player is forced to focus on the feel of the ball while dribbling rather than watching the ball (--like typing or playing the piano without looking at the keys). These goggles are made from soft, flexible plastic with adjustable nylon strap. They are for training purposes only. They ARE NOT safety goggles, so there are no lenses.

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