I mean what did you guys expect? I have plenty of free time when I’m not playing ball, on the radio, sportscasting, running my camp, doing my child foundation works or rallying PACKNATION.. but seriously… theatre was my minor in school and I really enjoy comedy work. I love writing short stories and anyone that knows me know that my favorite line is “that will be funny in a movie”. Anyway this is the 1st of many more webisodes to come so ENJOY and if so tell a friend to tell a friend to watch and lol!

Signing off,

The Jules of Harlem on his way to Stardom

This off-season, one of NC State’s all-time greats has come back to Raleigh to give back to the town that helped make him a star.

Julius Hodge spent four years at State helping put the basketball program back on the map ,using not only his talent on the floor, but his quick wit with the media and his heart for the city. Today, after spending five years playing in the NBA and overseas, Hodge is back in Raleigh and using his skill, wit, and heart all over again to help out his school and his city.

This past week Julius held his first annual basketball camp here in Raleigh. Camp24Hodge was a week long skills camp for ages 6-14 where twenty kids learned not only how to win on the court, but off-the-court as well. “It’s not just about teaching them basketball skills.” said Hodge “It’s about showing them how to succeed in life. If you have good manners,  you’re a good person, you always have a smile on your face, you try to do the right thing and you’re hard working then you can pretty much reach and achieve all of the goals you have in life. Pretty much I’m teaching them that through basketball.” The camp took place at Grand Slam USA, only a mile from the arena where Hodge starred for the Wolfpack. Over the week kids from all over the area came to participate, compete and learn from one of the hardest working players out there today.

After four very productive years at NC State Julius was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 20th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He spent 2 years between the Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks before heading overseas to play in Europe and finally finding a home in Australia with the 36ers. Although. Hodge found a great deal of success in Australia, NC State fans had not heard much from their one time fan favorite. That was until this past February whenHodge finally made his way back to Raleigh. “I had been working so hard to reach my goal of playing in the NBA and I’ve been really doing what everyone else wanted me to do in a way.” Hodge explained. “Then one day my wife just said ‘What do you want to do? You do what you want to do.’ I love  Raleigh and this is where I wanted to be. I love Harlem but I wanted to come back here and have my camp, and start up some foundations that give back to the community.”

The Jules from Harlem arrived back in Raleigh and immediately picked up where he left off. He connected back with NC State fans through interviews, facebook and the new means of media he’s seemingly become famous for, Twitter. Hodge has become Raleigh’s version of Ocho Cinco in the world of social media. His nearly 1,500 followers can keep track of his daily antics as he updates them with witty one-liners and funny happenings throughout his day. Hodge has used these networks, not only to entertain, but to market two things that are very important to him. His basketball camp and his project “African Education Initiative” where he’s teamed up with Russell Simmons to help bring sustainable energy to the Tonga people in the Congo. He even has an event coming up in the Hamptons on July 3rd to help promote his cause which actually will be covered and aired on the Oxygen Network in coming weeks.

From basketball camps, to his work with the less fortunate, Julius Hodge continues to put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces, and continues to give back to the city and people that gave so much to him.

]]> http://24hodge.com/blog/2010/07/02/julius-hodge-still-helping-raleigh/feed/ 0 http://24hodge.com/blog/2010/06/25/glimpse-into-camp24hodge/ http://24hodge.com/blog/2010/06/25/glimpse-into-camp24hodge/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:36:38 +0000 ISG http://24hodge.com/?p=547 Former N.C. State star Julius Hodge has some fun during this week's summer camp session, blocking a shot by 12-year-old Derek Tabron of Spring Hope ]]> RALEIGH — The 19 youngsters at Julius Hodge’s basketball camp would have been happy to spend Wednesday’s entire session playing pickup games and practicing wild, circus shots in games of HORSE.

During the playful Hodge’s four-year career at N.C. State, no one ever accused him of treating basketball as a grim exercise with no room for jokes or the occasional in-game trash talk. In his new role as camp director though, the 2004 ACC Player of the Year relished snapping his young charges to attention this week with threats to blast his whistle as he led them through a warmup round of stretches and jumping jacks.

The campers, ranging in age from 6 to 15, took to the charismatic Hodge’s orders quickly, jokes and smiles all around as Hodge joined them in their warmups. Even those barely old enough to have seen Hodge play in a Wolfpack uniform could see through his joking threats to blast them into submission with his whistle, laughing as they pleaded for him to put it away.

“It’s an honor having him as a coach, and I just have to be grateful and appreciate the opportunity I have to play under him,” said Mikeil Watkins, 13.

The Ligon Middle School student said he remembers watching Hodge play at State and then briefly in the NBA after the Denver Nuggets made him a first-round selection in 2005.

At 26, Hodge still has plenty of basketball left to play, even if his NBA career was shortlived after college. But the New York native also views his camp at Raleigh’s Grand Slam U.S.A. facility as a way to work with young people, among other ventures.

Hodge said he was inspired to help others, especially kids, because of his own experience growing up in Harlem. Drive-by shootings and drug deals were common occurrences in his neighborhood, Hodge said, and while his mother was off working two jobs to keep the family afloat, his older brother would constantly encourage him to work on his basketball game.

“My way of thinking in terms of wanting to help young children definitely developed from my days in Harlem, and I remember being sponsored to go to a camp, and just seeing such great players encouraging us and telling us we could reach our goals really went a long way for me as a young kid,” Hodge said. “My goal here is to give my campers an opportunity to be somewhere that is not only a positive atmosphere, but to help them both as basketball players and as people. I pretty much give them another avenue to be successful, and it’s not just about the basketball skills and development. That is the main objective, but it’s also to shape young people, encourage sportsmanship, teamwork, hard work and dedication.”

Hodge played with the Nuggets for one season, which was cut short. The victim of a drive-by shooting in April 2006, Hodge suffered two gunshot wounds to his legs. At the beginning of the next season, six days after he started his first game with the Nuggets, Hodge was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and played sparingly there. The 6-foot-7 wing player ended up playing in Italy for the remainder of the 2007 season before some stints playing professionally in Australia and France, sandwiched around some time in the NBA’s Development League.

Hodge invited a few guest speakers to this week’s camp, including a surprise guest from the Wolfpack’s rival camp. During their playing careers, Hodge loved to irritate players from North Carolina with his constant talk on the court. Yet now he considers former Tar Heel Jawad Williams, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as a longtime friend, and Williams showed up Tuesday to speak with Hodge’s campers.

Some of the assistant coaches drafted by Hodge to help run the camp were former classmates and friends of his from State, including Jordan Green.

“It’s a great experience to be working with Julius. He’s such a standout athlete who is giving back to the community, and it’s great that he’s able to give that celebrity status to kids who were like him growing up,” Green said. “He’s got a contagious enthusiasm, and whenever he’s around the kids, they reflect the happiness that’s always on his face. And even after a loss, he’ll talk to the kids, and they’ll instantly start laughing and smiling again.”

“What makes him different [as a coach] is that he doesn’t care if you make mistakes,” Watkins said.

Learn More at Camp24Hodge

My interview on the David Glenn show yesterday about NCSU parting ways with Athletic Director Lee Fowler and C.J.Leslie signing to PackNation!

Check out the Interview Here!

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with C.J. Leslie to talk him about what I have been up to since returning from Australia.

You can read the interview Here.

Click Here to listen to the latest of my weekly Radio show on ESPN.

NC State legend Julius Hodge is back in Raleigh and this summer he will hold the first annual “Julius Hodge Basketball Skills Camp.” Sign up your child today!–

Wolfpack fans, I’m excited to present to you the 1st annual “Julius Hodge Basketball Skills Camp.”With the assistance of some of my professional basketball friends this is sure to be a lasting positive experience for all campers. There will be loads of learning and fun.The “Julius Hodge Basketball Skills Camp” is designed simply to make campers better basketball players. My camp staff will focus on personal instruction, reinforcement of the fundamentals of basketball, and game-like situations to help develop player skills.

Below you will find even more details on my camp and you can register your child today at www.camp24hodge.com.Thanks and Go Pack!– Julius Hodge–

NOTE: Julius will be on-site instructing and interacting with the campers. Julius will provide one-on-one instruction to the campers in order to help improve their game on the court. All campers will receive a team photo with Julius and a signed personal autograph from Julius! The camp is open to both boys and girls between the ages of 6 to 14 (or entering freshmen year 15yr old).For details on the location, cost, camp schedule, and much more, visit www.camp24hodge.com.

SIGN UP TODAY

Thank you.

PackPride.com StaffScout.com – Always on our Game

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