Geoff Folsom / Spokesman file photoTwins Hayden, left, and Hunter Smith made first-team All-League for the Redmond High baseball team.

Summer means a return to Redmond — and the United States — for one of the city’s great athletes.

Maarty Leunen is back and preparing for his third annual basketball camp, which starts today at Redmond High School, where he graduated from in 2004.

Leunen recently returned from Italy, where his team, Sidigas Avellino, finished the season 20-10, third in the 16-team Serie A.

In the playoffs, they made it to a seventh and deciding game of the league semifinals.

Leunen, 30, was pleased with the season.

“Overall, it was a pretty successful year, to be one of the last four,” he said.

Leunen felt his own numbers were solid. He averaged 6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists on the season.

The season marked a return to Italy for Leunen, where he played from 2009-14, after he spent the 2014-15 season in Germany with the Ratiopharm Ulm Sparrows of the Basketball Bundesliga.

Six seasons of Leunen’s eight-year career have been played in Italy, though this year he was in the southern part of the country. Before going to Germany, Leunen played for Pallacanestro Cantu, near the Swiss border.

“It’s almost like that is my home now,” he said of Italy. “I come back to Central Oregon for two months. That’s kind of my vacation.”

Leunen, who was a second-round draft pick of the NBA’s Houston Rockets in 2008, made news in January when the Rockets traded his draft rights to the Los Angeles Clippers, in exchange for forward Josh Smith.

But instead of trying out for the Clippers, Leunen said he plans to re-sign with Sidigas Avellino.

“I think the NBA ship has pretty much sailed for me,” Leunen said.

Leunen enjoys playing golf, relaxing and hanging out at the swimming pool while back in Central Oregon. The summer gives him a chance to travel with his wife, Caitlin, and three sons.

He also loves the basketball camp, where he instructs the kids each day.

“I feel like the city and community of Redmond were really good to me coming up,” Leunen said. “I feel like this is a good way to give back.”

The camp has typically drawn between 30 and 40 kids. Leunen hopes more will come this year since organizers were able to set a date and advertise it earlier than the previous two years.

He enjoys seeing the faces on the kids when they are inspired or learn something new.

“It’s always fun to pass things down to a younger generation,” he said.

Leunen led Redmond to a state championship in 2003 and helped the Panthers back to the title game his senior year. He said the Panthers have a bright future with new coach Reagan Gilbertson, a teammate of Leunen’s his freshman year in high school.

Gilbertson looks forward to having Leunen involved.

“Panther Nation is extremely grateful for the time Maarty so generously gives back to the Redmond community to help young people develop a love and passion for the game of basketball,” Gilbertson said.

Leunen is proud of the performance of the Oregon Ducks, who this year reached their first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in men’s basketball since Leunen’s 2006-07 team. Leunen was named honorable mention All-Pac-10 Conference on that team and went on to be named second-team All-Pac-10 in the 2007-08 season.

“Coach Dana Altman really has built that program,” Leunen said. “It’s fun watching from the outside as a fan. I got a taste of the Elite Eight, I know how much fun it is.”

— Reporter: 541-548-2186, gfolsom@redmondspokesman.com