An Instagram video posted early Tuesday morning features a black-and-white edited feed of Maurice Ager, sharing his talent of public speaking to his massive following on social media.
The former Michigan State guard reminds everyone that "if you feel good at what you do and what you're doing, the universe will bless you regards of how other people may feel."
Public speaking is one of the many attributes in Ager's repertoire, having been out of the NBA since the 2010-11 season, trading in a basketball for a pair of headphones to pursue a career in the music business. Ager, along with Shaquille O'Neal, are the only two players who have gone on to receive a Grammy nomination for their work.
"Far From Home" from Ager's album, "Moe Town" was one of 44 Grammy nominees for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration back in 2013. The single featured artists G. Curtis, J. Peso and LP.
The expression, "In the Zone," is considered to be the foundation of Ager's speeches. It's used to describe someone achieving their highest performance level with little to no resistance. Ager also shares his experiences of growing up in the city of Detroit, attending Detroit Crockett, playing for the Spartans and his promising work in the hip-hop industry.
"In the Zone," is also the title of the 31-year-old's web series that first hit YouTube on April 14, which documents Ager servicing others in the game of basketball and game of life.
The third episode of the series focuses on Ager's push towards establishing a hoops school in California. Donning a black shirt with blue lettering while carrying a video camera, Ager, along with his friend, Greg Smith, teach basic fundamentals to a group of kids at Oak Hills middle school in Simi Valley.
Ager has also recently helped out with the Los Angeles Clippers summer youth camp. Another Instagram video shows him holding nothing back against someone half his size while driving down the lane for an easy one handed drunk.
It's the beginning of a goal that Ager hopes to achieve before the summer concludes, which is a three day basketball camp that puts attendees through an intense regimen designed to take their talents to the next level.
The two-time All-American also partnered up with the Long Beach Boys and Girls Club of America and is currently accepting donations to create scholarships for kids who are in financial need. A GoFundMe account was constrcuted in order to raise $5,000 for 20 kids.
Ager hopes to expand the camp outside of Southern California to different parts of the country in the coming years, including Detroit, Dallas and other cities that Ager played in before retiring.
"The kids will get one-one-one instruction with guys who've made it, besides myself," Ager said. "Of course, I'm going to be hiring more athletes that have played collegiate, and maybe some pro basketball as well. But its been good, it's good for me to give back and provide a service in something that I was able to make it in myself."
Taking advantage of social media has been key in Ager promoting his line of work to his audience, which features more than 7,000 followers on Instagram and 100,000 on Twitter. Ager's follow back strategy also has him scrolling through feeds of more than 94,000 people.
Ager credits his social media manager, JT Holmes, for his increased popularity on the major networks. Holmes, a 20-year-old business management major at Grand Canyon University, also manages business inquiries for former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris.
Despite four years removed from the NBA, Ager continues to have regular interactions with other professionals on social media. It was just this past Saturday when Ager and Toronto Raptors power forward Chuck Hayes reminisced about their 2005 Elite 8 matchup when Ager recorded 21 points in a double-overtime finish against Kentucky en route to Michigan State's first Final Four appearance at the time since 2001.
Finishing his collegiate career in the first round of the 2006 NCAA tournament against George Mason, Ager left East Lansing has one of six MSU players who have scored at least 200 three-pointers. He also led the Spartans in scoring during his junior and senior seasons, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors by the media.
Playing in 82 games as a professional, averaging 2.1 points and 0.2 assists in 6.2 minutes per game, Ager still remembers the night he was selected 28th overall by the Dallas Mavericks. With Branden Dawson and Travis Trice as the lone Michigan State representatives come draft night, Ager reminds the former standouts to keep themselves clean and perform well in their workouts.
"Do nothing too crazy, just continue to keep a low profile, stay positive and feel good about their chances," Ager said. "I don't know their draft sock but I think both have a good shot. I think Branden (Dawson) and Travis (Trice) would be a great addition to any team."
Ager is set to release his extended playlist on June 25 titled '#Zonin' which will compliment the "In The Zone" campaign. He will also make three speaking appearances in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Reseda in the upcoming weeks.