Flint - When former MSU star Mateen Cleaves was a young, aspiring athlete, he didn’t have many chances to meet professional athletes. So this summer he hopes to give youngsters in the city where he grew up an opportunity he didn’t have.

“I really didn’t have a chance to interact with pros,” the Sacramento Kings point guard said. “I just saw them on TV.”

Not only did the camp attract kids age 10 to 17, but it also brought in professional athletes, such as former Spartan Antonio Smith and Detroit Pistons’ small forward Michael Curry.

The free, three-day basketball camp opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Flint Northern High.

“A lot of kids don’t have the money,” Cleaves said. “One thing I wanted to do was come back to my community and give a free camp.”

Many athletes consider hefty donations the best way to give back to their communities, but Cleaves disagrees.

“I don’t care how much money you can donate,” he said. “I think time is better than anything. I thought it would be great to interact with the kids.”

The camp is designed to teach participants the basics.

“We’re just trying to put something together that’s good for the kids,” said Terence Greene, one of the coordinators and instructors.

Seventeen-year-old Kevin Gill, who plays for Flint Northwestern high, said the first day was beneficial to him as a player and a person.

“It pinpoints what to do in life and just how to play the game better,” he said. “I might come back, but I might be in some college camps next year.”

At the camp, Gill and about 100 more participants experienced something that appeals to most college coaches, as Cleaves and Greene drilled participants on getting a strong base and positioning themselves for defense.

Cleaves said this year’s edition was a rush job, but following camps should be better.

“A lot of people didn’t know it was free,” he said. “Right now, this is just the start of something.

“It’s going to get bigger and bigger every year. I know it.”

Mateen’s mother, Fran Cleaves, said when players give back to the community with positive activities, it sets a standard for others.

“We’re trying to instill in them a sense of community and a sense of belonging to a group, and what you owe to a community and it owes to you,” she said. “(Mateen) had people in the community that were always available to help him and to get him involved in things that helped him boost his ambitions for a pro career - and it worked.

“And he wants it to work for some of these youths. We hope that a lot of others will do the same.”