Young Soldiers run drills at Hot Prospects 2007

Drew Gooden grew up playing for the Oakland Soldiers/Slam N Jam youth basketball program.

Now it will bear his name.

The 26-year-old Cleveland Cavaliers forward has made a commitment of money and time to a program that will be known as the Drew Gooden Soldiers. The organization recently hosted the Hot Prospects Invitational camp for select 7th-11th graders in September. This weekend they will host the annual Super 100 Camp at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA. The event is designed for 9th-12th graders who are rated as the best high school players in their respective classes throughout Northern California. (For more information, visit www.slamnjam.org)

Players body up as Slam N Jam’s Carl Foster plays Drill Sergeant

“When I started playing with the Soldiers, I did not know much about basketball. I knew I just loved playing,” Gooden said in a statement to the Bay Area News Group. “The Soldiers showed me a whole new world of basketball and life skills. They exposed me to the opportunities that basketball had to offer.

“You could say that the Slam N Jam/Soldiers program provided me with a map and tour guides to the road of success.” Meanwhile, Gooden’s teammate, superstar LeBron James, has named his Nike LeBron Air Zoom Soldier in honor of the program for which he played during two summers in high school.

“Well, the soldier is kinda what I am on the court,” James told the Bay Area News Group through his publicist. “And then playing for them as a youngster really made it easy to make it that name.” The Soldiers will get sponsorship help from Nike, and its players will receive James’ Air Zoom Soldier shoes along with other gear.

The Slam N Jam program, in its 18th year, has served more than 1,000 youngsters throughout the Bay Area, helping to prepare dozens of them for college. Seven current NBA players — including Leon Powe, Chauncey Billups and Eddie House — played on the summer league circuit for the Soldiers.

Photos by CNL