Meridian native and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Rodney Hood points toward his father during a question-and-answer session at the close of the first day of his annual basketball camp Saturday evening at Meridian Community College.

Less than a decade ago, Rodney Hood was still in high school, playing his home games in Meridian High School’s gymnasium.

On Saturday, Hood was back in his old gym, only this time as a celebrity of sorts as he hosted the fourth-annual Rodney Hood Elite Basketball Camp. At no cost to the attendees, Hood hosted more than 400 young basketball players from around the state of Mississippi, as they were eager to learn from the Cleveland Cavaliers guard and compete against one another.

“I love being back,” Hood said. “There are so many memories that go through my mind when I step foot in that gym. So much hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Just to be back in a different state of mind as an (alumnus), that means a lot to me.”

The camp, a brainchild of the Hood family, began four years ago just as Hood was finishing his first season in the NBA. Hood’s brother, Ricky Hood Jr., said watching it grow each year has been a blessing.

“It’s just a special feeling,” Ricky Hood Jr. said. “It’s something our family had a vision for. After seeing it being a local deal in year one and growing into a regional deal, where now kids from all over the state and even from border states come to be a part of it, it’s pretty special.”

Rodney Hood said it was only natural for him to help develop Mississippi talent since people took the time to do the same thing when he was young.

“It’s my duty,” Rodney Hood said. “When I was younger and coming through, guys gave back, and was able to go to camps, get better and be around my friends. It’s just my turn to do the right thing and do a free camp for the kids. It’s just one way of giving back.”

That’s the Hood family’s way, Ricky Hood Jr. said.

“My mom and dad, they stressed that to us early on,” he said. “It’s not a giveback, it’s just something we feel special about. The game of basketball has gifted use as a family — we all played ball in college — so we wanted to give the kids that come here the opportunity to do the same.”

One of those players is junior Keondre Montgomery, a small forward from Forest Hill who is ranked as the No. 1 player in Mississippi’s class of 2020 by 247Sports.com. Montgomery said having a guy like Rodney Hood around means the camp is offering something more than just good coaching.

“It’s good inspiration,” Montgomery said. “It’s good for us to look up to. This camp, it just helps my game and helps get my skills better. It just helps with everything.”

For recent Meridian graduate Tyron Brewer, who signed with Southeastern Louisiana, it was a bit of a different feel at this year’s camp, as he’s no longer a prospect. Still, Brewer said he’ll always jump at the chance to face good competition and learn from good coaches, as the camp employs high school coaches from throughout the state, as well as professional and college standouts.

“I look forward to this camp because I know it’s going to be nothing but hooping all day,” Brewer said. “That will prepare me to stay in shape and keep me on track for what I need to do before I get down to Southeast Louisiana.”

For Brewer, Rodney Hood isn’t just someone he sees on TV during the NBA season, he’s someone whose name has been well-known through most of Brewer’s youth basketball career.

“He was the greatest to come out of Meridian, and I’m trying to be the next greatest, so in order to be the next greatest, I need to play against the greatest,” Brewer said.

Watching so much talent make their way to his camp is a humbling feeling, Rodney Hood said, and he hopes his camp played a key part in their development.

“There’s a lot of talent in the state of Mississippi,” Rodney Hood said. “We get looked at as a football state, but there’s a lot of basketball talent here. To get some exposure and let them play against each other, I think it’s fun for them and fun for us to watch.”