Iniko McNeil reflects on his summer internship with UPB as he continues his basketball journey
“[I have enjoyed seeing the athlete’s progress] unfold right in front of me. It was just refreshing because I feel like the level of basketball I’m at now, everyone kind of can shoot [and] everyone can dribble. You don't get to appreciate [and see someone] going from not being able to do something to actually doing it,” McNeil said.
Walter Lum spends the summer with UPB before his final season at Whitman College
“Training with Packie and with the other trainers has been a really good experience just learning new things from them… Especially training with Packie has taught me a lot in terms of just how he goes about training his pros all the way down to the younger kids and breaking stuff down to the very basics," Lum said.
Grant Williams reflects on his remarkable third season with the Boston Celtics
“It was heartwarming to feel the success that from all the years of I feel like energy and effort that [I] put in leading up to that point. It just just showed that hard work pays off. It gave me a better mentality heading on throughout the rest of my career and honestly through the finals of just being confident,” Williams said.
Seven NBA rookies show off their game in the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League
Jabari Walker and six other talented rookies that participated in the Summer League worked with Unlimited Potential Basketball’s Coach Packie Turner in Santa Barbara over the summer. Here are how those guys performed in Vegas:
Sabrina Ionescu starts in her first WNBA All-Star Game
This past weekend, New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu started in her first All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. After missing nearly her entire rookie season and leading her team to the WNBA Playoffs in her second season, Ionescu has continued to put in countless hours of work to continue to excel in her basketball career and receive her first All-Star selection.
Coach Packie Turner spends another summer in Santa Barbara preparing eight talented athletes for the 2022 NBA Draft
All of these athletes dedicated a tremendous amount of time and dedication to get to where they are today. In their last two and a half months before the final countdown to the Draft, they spent their time with Coach Packie working on what they could improve in their game and what can make them successful at the next level.
Coach Packie Turner shares his experience at the 2022 NBA Draft
“It was pretty special to get extended an invite by Jalen Williams. He said he just felt that I helped him a lot on this journey, and we're going to continue to build a strong working relationship together and he wanted me to be there to be a part of it,” Coach Packie said.
Take a look at the newest NBA players: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Christian Braun, E.J. Liddell, Kendall Brown and Jabari Walker
Unlimited Potential Basketball’s Coach Packie Turner recently returned from Santa Barbara after working out and preparing talented NBA prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft. The draft was held on Thursday, June 23rd, and Coach Packie was invited to watch the draft in person at Barclays Center with the guys he worked with over the summer. The UPB Team is excited to see all that these young men will accomplish in their upcoming NBA career!
Introducing UPB’s newest addition: DyShawn Hobson
“I feel that the best assets that I had as a basketball player always revolved around IQ, decision making, knowing the game, and studying it better than a lot of players that may have been more talented athletically,” Hobson said. “So I think transitioning in that and using that to help other players reach their goals is a big thing for me, and I think will be really beneficial.”
Meet Jenna Kilty: UPB’s Player Development Intern
“[Basketball] just brings me so much happiness… The people that I've met through playing basketball and the relationships I've created, it's such a big community. You can walk into any gym and spark up a conversation with anyone,” Kilty said. “I just think the whole basketball community is something I'm drawn to.”
UPB Player Development Coach, Nick Kanno, looks to give back to the next generation of hoopers
“Making an impact on the players and the kids that I work with, it just kind of makes sense,” Kanno said. “It's just kind of who I am and I feel [that] it's part of my purpose to give back and [teach] the things that I've learned and to help benefit other people [since] I was in their situation at one point in time.”
Meet the man behind the camera: Jojo - Joseph Owen Jr.
So far in his career, Owen has been able to capture the moments of many athletes. These athletes include Ky Bowman, Ian Clark, Haley Jones, and more. He has even captured photos of famous music artists such as Lil Baby and Lil Durk.
UPB Player Development Coach Keana Delos Santos wishes to inspire the next generation of female hoopers
“Just making a difference there I think is the main thing. Even if it's just one little girl, like if she's looking up to me [and is] inspired about my history of how I got to where I am today, that's the main thing that's important to me,” Santos said.
Greg Brown III is wasting no time getting back into the gym and getting ready for his second year in the NBA
“I would say my biggest goal is just to get better, and see where it takes me. If I keep getting better, opportunities will come,” Brown said. “Just trying to work on different skill sets, trying to learn the game a lot better, trying to carry myself a lot better, and just learn[ing] how to be a pro.”
Meet Madisen Carter: UPB’s Social Media Coordinator and new Operations Intern
In June it will be a year that I have been with UPB, working remotely from Phoenix, Arizona. Now that school is out for the summer, I am happy to say that I will be in the Bay Area for the next three months and will be able to work in person at the UPB Training Facility. This summer, I will be able to broaden my skills and learn new things as an Operations Intern, as well as keep my role as a Writer and Social Media Coordinator.
Get to know UPB’s Director of Basketball Operations Rūta Savickaitė
“[I love basketball because of the] connections for sure. I always think about [how] if I didn't play basketball, I wouldn't have traveled this much [around the] world [and] I would have never met this pot of different people from everywhere… I can't really think of any other thing that I personally would do that would open up so many doors and so many connections, so that's why I love it,” Savickaitė said.
Jordan Poole takes over the 2021-22 season leading into the NBA Playoffs
Poole has had 34 regular-season games where he has scored more than 20 points. In the month of March and leading into April, Poole scored more than 20 points in 17 games straight, with his season high of 38 points against the Phoenix Suns on March 30th. He led the NBA in three-point shots made in March with 67.
Mikayla Cowling is having her best season yet overseas in Edremit, Turkey
“I came here with the vision of being my best self and showing up every day at every game producing and having the best percentages I could and just leaving it all on the court type of thing,” Cowling said. “This year [is] actually my highest [in] my scoring, my rebounding and everything, so I'm very proud of that.”
PT: How UPB made a difference
"It really just built his confidence as well, to be able to understand not only what [the] other types of players he's playing with [are]... but to understand the great player that is inside of him and to be able to bring that out. We have [seen] his time with Packie being able to really bring out the greatest in himself. It's believing in yourself and having that confidence. So it's the skill set, but it's also the confidence we've watched increase over the period of time,” Mrs. Westmoreland said.
Parent Testimonial: Joanne Yun shares her son John’s journey at UPB
“We love the trainers, we love the way they work with them. They take each individual really seriously. They really know their strengths, their weaknesses, they know how to build their confidence and their skills, they know what to work towards. They know where he needs to work harder, and they're not afraid to call him out on it, and he's not afraid to step up to the challenge,” Yun said.