But Michael's parents had had some serious talks with him about the importance of school. His grades started to improve when he realized that he could be a good student. Because he had improved as a player, he made the varsity and got to play with his older brother Larry. Michael played so well in his junior season that he was invited to attend the Five-Star Camp in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the summer before his senior year. Five-Star is a camp where the best U.S. high school basketball players compete against one another.
Top coaches run the drills and games while college scouts look for recruits.
Michael won 10 trophies at the camp, including two MVP awards. Michael had also pitched and played outfield on Laney High's varsity baseball team. But he said that his performance at the Five-Star Camp was the turning point of his life as an athlete. He had also grown as a student and as a player. On the court, he averaged 27.8 points per game as a senior.