If youngsters dream of pursuing a career as a professional athlete, E’Twaun Moore encourages them.

But the East Chicago Central and Purdue graduate also believes the principles he has used to become an NBA player also apply to any path.

That’s the main message Moore, a 6-foot-4 guard with the New Orleans Pelicans entering his ninth season in the league, conveyed at his youth basketball camp at East Chicago.

“Inspiration,” Moore said Friday, the first of the two-day seventh edition. “I just want to show them that if I can make it and be successful, they can be successful, too.

“I was never the fastest runner or highest jumper. I just worked hard at what I did, paid attention and was a student of my craft. Anyone can do that in any field, if it’s basketball, football or not related to sports. If you want to be a scientist, doctor, lawyer, whatever you want to be, you can do it. There’s a lot of different ways to be successful.”

Heading into his fourth season in New Orleans, Moore believes the Pelicans are back on their way to being successful.

They reached the Western Conference semifinals two seasons ago before posting a 33-49 record this past season.

The Pelicans landed the No. 1 pick in last week’s draft, using it to select Duke’s Zion Williamson.

“It’s going to be fun playing with him,” Moore said. “Getting someone with that talent — a generational talent — it’s great. I’m excited to play with him.

“I hope he’s one of the best players ever to play. He’s bringing a winning attitude. Hopefully I can make his job easier by making shots.”

The Pelicans, particularly executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, also earned praise for the haul of players and draft picks they received in the trade sending star Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We all knew it was going to happen, with him asking for the trade,” Moore said of Davis. “He’s definitely a good friend, you never want to lose a guy like that. But David Griffin did a great job assembling and getting a lot of pieces for him. I’m excited to see what the future holds.

“We’re moving in a good direction, with the draft picks and all the talent he’s brought in. He’s definitely putting a lot of effort into making us a winning franchise.”

Moore has been accustomed to winning.

He led East Chicago to the Class 4A state championship as a senior in 2007.

Purdue made the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons, including back-to-back Sweet 16 trips, and the Boilermakers never finished worse than tied for second in the Big Ten. They won the conference tournament title in 2009 and a share of the regular-season title in 2010. Moore has made the postseason in three of his eight NBA seasons.

“I haven’t won a championship, but I’ve gone pretty far in the playoffs a couple times,” Moore said. “There’s no feeling like winning. That’s the reward, the cookie at the end. You put in all the hard work and you finally get the reward by winning.

“It’s just a mentality. Every day, going to work, doing things the right way and keep trying to get better.”