samo sports hub
On Nov. 3 and 4, the San Antonio Spurs, a National Basketball Association (NBA) team, rented out Samo’s gym in preparation for their match against the Los Angeles Clippers. From NBA teams such as the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and the Oklahoma City Thunder to the U.S. Olympic Artistic Swimming Team, professional sports teams have been renting Samo’s sports facilities for years. Brian Part, Samo’s Sports Facility Coordinator and former basketball coach, has helped organize these on-campus trainings.
“One of my favorite times helping facilitate an event was when Oklahoma City Thunder was here for playoffs and at the time they had three young superstars; Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook,” Part said.
The Thunder spent multiple days at Samo when engaged in their long playoff series with the Lakers in 2012. During their time here, Part witnessed their high-energy, upbeat practices while simultaneously building a connection with the team.
“While they were here, I was able to get to know the coaches and players; we were even able to develop a sort of relationship which is pretty cool,” Part said.
In training for the 2024 Olympics, Team USA’s Artistic Swimming team rented out Samo’s Olympic-size Drake pool. The team utilized the pool throughout the school day in the months leading up to the Paris Olympics which took place in Aug., where they earned second place. The Olympics are set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028, and Part views this as an exciting opportunity for teams to make use of Samo’s space.
“It was pretty cool to have the US Olympic [Artistic Swimming] team here,” Part said. “I believe it will be a sign of things to come as the Olympics are set to take place here in three years and I have a feeling we're not only going to have teams from the US here, but other countries as well using our facilities.”
Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District has been known to be very accommodating to these teams, which largely accounts for the popularity of Samo’s spaces.
“Our school and school district are well regarded and have typically been easy to work with in accommodating these kinds of requests,” Part said. “We have a long history of these teams using facilities as the administration staff and facility use department help create and facilitate such events.”
In addition to the many professional teams that have trained at Samo, several different colleges have as well, including North Carolina and Gonzaga University’s men’s basketball teams. The Stanford Women’s basketball team has also made an appearance at the school.
Samo’s representation as a training hub for elite athletes emphasizes the school’s connection to the world of professional sports. By opening doors to Olympic athletes, the NBA and prestigious colleges, Samo offers students and staff a look into the highest level of competition.
