Michael Bennett slams Steph Curry for cost of kids' camp
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett isn’t one to hold his tongue, especially when it comes to well-paid mediocre quarterbacks, and even when it comes to one of the most respected basketball players in the NBA.
Bennett, a Houston native who lives in Oahu, Hawaii, in the offseason, is hosting his fourth-annual football camp in the city this weekend, and the camp is free to all participants.
Over Fourth of July weekend, Curry, the reigning NBA MVP, hosted a basketball camp on the island that cost $2,000 for day campers and $2,250 for those wanting to stay overnight.
That didn’t set well with Bennett, and he said as much on KHON-TV.
“I see a lot of different athletes come through Hawaii whether it’s Steph Curry or whoever it is. They all come here and it makes me mad, because I live in this community and I understand this community — that there’s so many kids who can’t afford to pay such a high amount of money,” he said. “In my mind it’s like, how much money do you need before you start giving back for free? And I think a lot of athletes should start focusing on that.”
And he didn’t stop there.
“If you do have a camp and you charge money for it, you need to make sure that money that you take from this community, you give back to the kids that are paying for the camp. These are the kids that live here. When you leave Hawaii and you go back to wherever you’re at, or you come here and you go back from this vacation you leave with a piece of paradise, but these people still live here every day.”
Bennett has given of his time and money since moving to Hawaii (his wife is from the state), and believes that professional athletes should do the same.
“That comes from my mom and dad growing up in the community and always giving back,” Bennett said. “My dad was a part of the school board [in Houston], my mom worked in the district for 20 years, and I just always wanted to give back and always make it free. Growing up, I know I wasn’t able to afford the things like go to to certain camps or do certain things.”
Curry’s camp, which was limited to 200 boys and girls, sold out.
