Kevin Obanor simply desires to unfold the love. The 25-year-old ahead received the NBA G-League’s Bob Lanier Neighborhood Help Award on Friday earlier than the Raptors 905 residence opener.
Kevin Obanor simply desires to unfold the love.
The 25-year-old ahead received the NBA G-League’s Bob Lanier Neighborhood Help Award on Friday, forward of the Raptors’ 905 residence opener. Obanor obtained a test for US$10,000 from the president of the G-League. League, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, throughout a pre-match. gaming ceremony in order that Obanor can contribute to his charitable works.
“I simply wish to unfold love, you realize? There’s a number of violence on this planet normally and I believe there’s not a number of love anymore,” Obanor mentioned a day earlier than receiving the award . “I wish to function Christ served for us.
“I made it a devotion simply to unfold love, happiness and pleasure internationally and contact as many lives on Earth as potential.”
The Lanier is awarded as soon as a month throughout the common season to the participant who finest demonstrates the eagerness that G-League and NBA gamers share for giving again to their communities.
Obanor and his nonprofit launched the primary KO’s Rising Stars camp in Lubbock, Texas, over the summer time. Obanor invited 100 youth ages seven to 17 to a basketball camp that included talent coaching, presents and treats with Obanor and the camp coaches.
“Basketball is what I do, it’s not who I’m,” Obanor mentioned. “I’m a person of God and a person keen to assist and keen to assist and function many individuals as potential.
“I believe it’s an amazing alternative to be the most effective basketball participant you could be after which have the ability to assist as many lives as potential.”
Obanor is averaging 3.8 factors and a pair of.5 rebounds over 4 video games with the Raptors 905, the G-League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, this season. They hosted the Lengthy Island Nets on Friday evening on the Paramount High-quality Meals Heart in Mississauga, Ontario.
“Kevin is the uncommon participant who impacts the neighborhood via team-planned occasions and thru spontaneous acts of particular person kindness,” Raptors 905 Basic Supervisor Luke Winn mentioned. “Even in Kevin’s first days with our group, when he was collaborating in preseason exercises with the Raptors and had but to earn a single skilled paycheck, he spent a part of his free time taking homeless folks to purchase gadgets they wanted.
“He maintained this spirit of altruism and generosity all through his season with the 905.”
Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned after Thursday’s 110-105 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves that the whole NBA group shall be on the Paramount High-quality Meals Heart for the opener at residence of the 905.
“We’re a household. We’re a group, and that is how we function,” Rajakovic mentioned. “It may be superior to see our guys play there. We’ll go cheer them on and win the W.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed November 22, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press