Cleveland Cavaliers Guard Max Strus, Hickory Hills Native, Hosts Basketball Camp – NBC Chicago

A little over a decade ago, Max Strus was wandering the halls of Stagg High School in Palos Hills. Despite receiving just one Division I scholarship, Strus had big dreams for his future.

“High schools always have classes about career planning and all that stuff, and professional athlete was always my thing,” Strus recalls with a laugh. “The teacher would say, ‘Okay, can you give me something else?’ I said, ‘That’s really all I want to do.’”

Strus graduated from Stagg in 2014. He went to Division II Lewis University, then transferred to DePaul, and despite not being drafted, he’s carved out an impressive career in the NBA. Hard work and talent helped the Hickory Hills native achieve his dream, and now he wants to inspire the next generation to chase their own. That’s why he’s hosting a basketball camp at his high school this week. Max Strus Basketball Camps is in its third year, and more than 400 kids from grades two through eight have helped make it a huge success.

“We have messages every day at the beginning of camp — be a great teammate today, play with great effort, give your teammate the most high-fives,” Strus said. “That’s really the message throughout the whole thing, to understand how important it is to be a good person and how much that can lead to good things and good opportunities for you.”

The majority of the camp’s proceeds will benefit the Andrew Weishar Foundation, which provides financial assistance to families of adolescents and young adults battling cancer. It’s a charity close to Strus’ heart, as he and his family are close to the Weishar family, who lost Andrew to cancer in 2012.

“We are here to give back everything we have been cherished and blessed with,” says Strus.

Thanks to the camp, Strus was able to donate $50,000 to charity.

“It’s just humbling for us to know that Andrew has had an impact on people like him, and that people like him are passing it on like this,” said Andrew’s father, Don Weishar. “It’s just really inspiring to everybody. I wish everybody could get to know Max, because he’s such a class act.”

As the week drew to a close, the 28-year-old became emotional as he spoke about his family, who play a key role in planning and running the camp. They are the people who have taught Strus the key message he shares with campers.

“Just be a good person,” Strus said. “Honestly. It’s that simple.”