The New Orleans Hornets held their final basketball camp, Hornets Summer Hoops Basketball Clinic, on Friday at Slidell’s Fritchie Park Gym.

The three-hour event had 150 participants 7-14-years old. At the end of the session, campers received a water bottle, a “Read to achieve” poster, a free book, T-shirt and thunder sticks.

Campers had the opportunity to see Hornets’ 6-foot-8, 205 pound shooting guard Rasual Butler, who was at all of the Hornets’ camps this summer.

New Orleans Hornets’ guard Rasual Butler demonstrates free-throw shooting during the Hornets’ camp as participants scream and yell to put pressure on him. The clinic was held Friday at Fritchie Park’s Gym. One hundred fifty children ages 7-14 attended the camp, which was the final camp of several the Hornets held this summer. (Staff Photo by Chris Kinkaid)

“It’s really important because our youth, they are our future and they are the people that are going to take care of us in the future,” Butler said. “It’s good to come here and give them some fundamental basketball skills along with some fundamental life skills.”

Butler added he enjoys being involved with the clinics.

Also appearing was Hornets’ mascot Hugo. The campers took part in dribbling, shooting and layup activities. The camp also featured some of the competitions that take place during Hornets’ games timeouts.

Friday’s camp was the final one in a series of camps the Hornets have held this summer. The clinics were also held in Lafayette, Hammond, Metairie Park Country Day School, Baton Rouge Community College, St. Michael’s in New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.

Slidell’s Tajun Burnett, a 13-year old student at Carolyn Park, talked about what he learned in the camp.

“I learned how to dribble, how to do drills and how to pass it through my legs,” Burnett said.

Burnett said his favorite player is Hornets’ point guard Chris Paul.

Jazmine McKain, a fourth grader at St. Margaret Mary in Slidell, said she had a lot of fun at the camp and said her favorite part was, “meeting Rasual Butler.”

McKain said she goes to a couple games a year. McKain said her favorite players are Tyson Chandler and Paul. Chandler was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Emeka Okafor last week.

The 2008-09 season saw the Hornets go 49-33 and make the playoffs as a seventh seed, but New Orleans was defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason 4-1 in a seven-game series.

Butler played in all 82 games, starting 74 and averaging 11.2 points per game. He also grabbed 3.3 rebounds a contest. Butler had a .433 field-goal percentage and he hit 39 percent of his 3-point attempts, while knocking down .782 percent of his free throws.

Butler said he’s really excited about next season.

“We have high expectations and we can’t wait to get back,” Butler said. “We feel like last year was a disappointing season for some of the goals that we set out to accomplish.”