Nolan and Kyle experiencing an unforgettable summer
LAS VEGAS – When the final buzzer sounded, the confetti cleared and the celebration came to a close on April 6, the Duke Blue Devils were national champions and a whirlwind season for Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith came to a close.
Wrong.
The celebration and flood of unique experiences had just begun for the 2010 All-America candidates.
It began with the trip back to Durham on April 7 and a welcome home celebration in Cameron Indoor Stadium and is coming to a close this weekend in Sin City. In between that short four months the Duke duo has seemingly spent more time on the road than the previous three summers combined.
“This summer has been a very busy summer starting all the way back to winning the championship in Indianapolis,” said Smith, a 2010 All-America candidate. “We have done a lot of things in the months since and met a lot of new people. It has been non-stop and has kind of worn on me, but there is so much adrenaline and excitement that it has kept me going and kept me motivated. That is part of the price you have to pay to be a champion. I have been taking it all in and continued to work on getting better all summer.”
Following the welcome home celebration the entire Duke Basketball team went to the home opener for the Durham Bulls where Durham mayor Bill Bell issued a proclamation in front of over 1,000 people at the City of Champions Celebration on April 12 at the American Tobacco Campus. Seniors Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek threw out the opening pitch, to varying degrees of success, while the rest of the team and staff watched from luxury suites surrounding the Bulls press box. The team was also welcomed out on the field in the middle of the third inning where they received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd.
“The one thing that stood out at the City of Champions Celebration was the love in Durham,” added Smith. “Even before that, all around the city and in North Carolina all we heard was ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Thank You’. At that celebration we got to see all the people come out and show their support for the program.”
The next stop was the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh on April 22 where the team was greeted by Governor Bev Perdue, NBA legend Jerry West and a house full of guests and fans. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the team presented the governor with a No. 1 Perdue jersey, while the governor declared the day “Duke Blue Devils Day”.
The following day Duke held its annual basketball banquet in Cameron Indoor Stadium as nearly 5,000 fans showed to see the National Championship team for one last time. Seniors Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas along with Smith and Singler were named Co-MVP with the Swett-Baylin Award.
As classes came to a close in Durham, Singler went back to Oregon to host the Fourth Annual Kyle Singler Southern Oregon Open (May 7-9). The event, which Singler started as a senior in high school, featured a basketball tournament for boys and girls grades sixth through eighth as well as a skills competition hosted by his brother, E.J., a sophomore at Oregon and the Cota-Singler Gala Auction Dinner. All proceeds from the event go to Kids Unlimited, an organization that provides education, enrichment and sports programs to children of all backgrounds in the Southern Oregon region.
Duke’s political tour took another step forward with a May 27 visit to the White House in Washington, D.C. The Blue Devils took off from Raleigh-Durham International Airport shortly before 7 a.m. and were on the steps of the Obama family’s home by 9:40 a.m. Following a 45-minutes tour of the White House, the team met with President Obama near the oval office before a public presentation and photo opportunity with the President in the Rose Garden. The next stop was lunch on the terrace at Hays-Adams Hotel, overlooking the White House grounds. Duke then took a short trip across the Potomac River for an extensive tour of the Pentagon. The Pentagon tour began at 1:25 p.m. from the 9/11 Courtyard. Because of weather conditions and time constraints the tour was forced to bypass a visit to Arlington Cemetery.
“The visit to the White House was crazy,” Smith said. “Just getting to meet President Obama and touring the White House was just an unbelievable experience.”
With the political circuit in the rearview mirror, Singler spent a few weeks in Durham, while Smith went back to the D.C. area to train. Singler’s break included spending five-days as a shuttle driver and runner for the K Academy, a fantasy basketball camp for adults 35 and older. Smith’s training regiment included two-a-day workouts with D.C. area college and professional athletes.
Next up was a camp tour that included the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp in Winston-Salem, N.C. (June 12-16); the Deron Williams Skills Academy in Chicago, Ill. (June 24-26); the Kevin Durant Camp in Chicago, Ill. (June 28-30); and the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio (July 5-7). Both players acted as camp counselor’s during the day, while honing their basketball talents against other top collegiate players and professionals in the evening. In the process, Singler was matched up in pickups games with the likes of LeBron James, while Smith could be found checking Chris Paul and Deron Williams.
Singler and Smith along with Brian Zoubek then took a trip to Los Angeles on July 14 for the 2010 ESPY Awards as the Duke-Butler game was nominated for Game of the Year. The trio was seen on the live telecast walking down the red carpet and periodically throughout the show in crowd shots. Singler also represented Duke as the Blue Devil men’s athletic programs were recognized as the best in the NCAA in 2010. Following another confetti shower at the end of the show, the group went to a handful of after-parties to rub elbows with some of the top celebrities in sport and entertainment.
“Being at the ESPYs was a lot of fun, just being around all the people that I watch on TV when I am not playing,” said Smith. “I was sitting there thinking hopefully one day I will be a professional athlete like all of them and get to go back to the ESPYs as a professional. I was just in awe really, sitting next to Rudy Gay with Julius Erving to my left. It was just a great experience.”
“The ESPYs were a once in a lifetime opportunity,” added Singler. “Being around so many stars and celebrities was really cool. Getting to spend time there with Nolan and Brian was another really fun thing about the whole trip.”
Duke’s senior tandem spent a few extras days in Los Angeles with Singler’s sister before heading to Las Vegas on July 18 to compete against the USA Senior National Team as members of a 20-player college Select Team. The five-day training camp gave Singler and Smith the opportunity to watch, learn and practice against some of the top NBA talents. During scrimmage sessions Singler was matchup up with NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, while Smith battled with NBA champions Chauncey Billups and Rajon Rondo. Smith also had a chance to connect with longtime friends like Durant and Memphis’ Rudy Gay.
“Being around the pros has been really good to see what they go through to prepare for competition,” said Singler. “Being exposed to the whole lifestyle and the amount of attention these guys get is a great learning experience.”
The Las Vegas experience also included some site-seeing along the strip with Singler contemplating a bungee-dive off the Space Needle.
While neither Singler nor Smith would trade the experiences of the past four months for anything, both are eager to get back to Durham to see friends and teammates and also get to work on their mutual goal of repeating as National Champions.
“I can’t wait to get back to Durham,” added Smith. “LA and Vegas are great cities but nothing beats Durham. It is slow paced and there is no traffic. I love being in Durham. I am looking forward to getting back there to be with my teammates. I haven’t had a chance to play with them as much as I have wanted to, so I can’t wait to get out there on the court with them. When the school years gets back going we need to get out there and get ready win another championship.”
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