LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Aspiring basketball players from across the state hit the hardwood Thursday night at UK’s Joe Craft Center.

The UK men’s and women’s basketball programs hosted a youth camp. The event was made possible through a partnership with the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit founded through the vision and memory of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

The vision for the program was to create a world where young boys and girls from all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue their dreams through sports.

“As long as they leave this camp learning something, that’s my main thing,” Eniya Russell, a UK women’s basketball player, said. “You’re not going to become Kobe at a one-day camp. You’re going to get better than what you were yesterday. So I think that’s the main focus for the camp, and that’s what I like about giving back to the kids here.”

This is the second year that UK has held the camp.