Key Takeaways
- Tracy McGrady acquired 80% of the ABCD Camp property, with founder Sonny Vaccaro keeping the remaining stake, per Front Office Sports.
- The first edition since 2006 ran July 30 to August 2 at The PHHacility in Phoenix, sponsored by Adidas.
- Roughly 45 players took the court, short of the approximately 60 boys and girls organizers projected, per Ballislife.
- The roster skewed young: 13 Class of 2029 prospects and four from 2030 participated, according to Ballislife.
The ABCD Camp revival is official. Tracy McGrady brought the storied high school basketball showcase back to the court July 30 to August 2 at The PHHacility in Phoenix, Arizona, the camp’s first edition since 2006. McGrady acquired an 80% stake in the property, with founder Sonny Vaccaro retaining the remainder, according to Front Office Sports. Adidas sponsored the event, and financial terms were not disclosed. The Arizona Republic reported the camp’s return after 20 years from the Phoenix venue, where both McGrady and the 86-year-old Vaccaro were on site.
An 80/20 Deal Returns a Sneaker-War Asset to the Market
Vaccaro ran ABCD with his wife Pam from 1984 to 2006, per Front Office Sports, and the camp became the summer proving ground where Kobe Bryant won MVP in 1995 and a 16-year-old LeBron James outplayed Lenny Cooke in 2001. McGrady attended in 1996 as an unknown Florida prospect and was the No. 9 pick in the NBA draft a year later.
Front Office Sports reported that Vaccaro previously attempted a revival in 2011 with Chinese footwear brand Li Ning, and that Nike founder Phil Knight tried to buy the ABCD name over the years. “We could have sold the name of ABCD to many people,” Vaccaro told the outlet. “And it would have been pretty smart from a financial point to do it.” Instead, Vaccaro said he agreed to the relaunch specifically because of McGrady: “It was only because of Tracy McGrady that I’m doing this.”
McGrady positioned the camp against the current summer circuit model. “You had to earn your right to be at ABCD,” he told Front Office Sports. “And nowadays it’s a lot of relationship-based, a lot is just handed to these kids instead of making them work.”
Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment served as the 2026 Financial Education Sponsor.
Who Played at the ABCD Camp Revival
Ballislife national grassroots editor Ronnie Flores, reporting from Phoenix, wrote that more than 40 prospects extended their grassroots seasons at the camp, with approximately 45 players across multiple classes receiving on-court instruction. That figure came in below the approximately 60 top boys and girls players Front Office Sports reported the camp would feature.
The class distribution ran younger than the elite-senior showcases of the camp’s original era. Per Ballislife, 13 Class of 2029 prospects and four Class of 2030 players took the court, including Pierre Rondo, the son of four-time NBA All-Star and ABCD alum Rajon Rondo, who attended as a parent. Flores named Class of 2029 wing R.J. Evans of Orlando’s Academy of Central Florida among the most productive players in camp, regardless of class.
NBA player development coach Phil Beckner led instruction, and 1991 camp alum Jerry Stackhouse worked drills with campers, per Ballislife. Flores also reported the programming extended beyond basketball, including financial literacy and player development sessions.
A 45-Player Debut Measured Against a 60-Player Plan
McGrady told campers he hopes ABCD runs for the next 20 years after sitting dormant for the last 20, per Ballislife. There is also a media component in development: Front Office Sports reported a documentary on the camp’s history is in the works with Carmelo Anthony’s Creative 7 Productions. Anthony, an ABCD alum, was McGrady’s NBC studio teammate this past season.
Source: Front Office Sports, Alex Schiffer, June 25, 2026, https://frontofficesports.com/tracy-mcgrady-vaccaro-abcd-camp/
Source: Ballislife, Ronnie Flores, August 2026, https://ballislife.com/news/high-school-news/abcd-camp-is-back-20-years-in-the-making/
Source: The Arizona Republic, August 1, 2026, https://www.azcentral.com/
Photos: Megan Mendoza/The Republic
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Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
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Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
