Kevin Obanor just wants to spread love.
The 25-year-old forward won the NBA G-League’s Bob Lanier Community Assist Award on Friday ahead of the home opener for Raptors 905. Obanor was given a cheque for US$10,000 by G-League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim in a pre-game ceremony for Obanor to put toward his charitable works.
“I just wanna spread love, you know? There’s a lot of violence in the world in general and I think there’s not a lot of love anymore,” said Obanor a day before receiving the award. “I’m all about serving as Christ served for us.
“I made it a devotional just to spread love and happiness and joy around the world and touch as many lives as I can on Earth.”
The Lanier is awarded once per month during the regular season to the player who best demonstrates the passion that the G-League and NBA players share for giving back to their communities.
Obanor and his non-profit launched the inaugural KO’s Rising Stars Camp in Lubbock, Texas, over the summer. Obanor invited 100 youth between the ages of seven and 17 to a basketball camp that included skills training, giveaways, and treats with Obanor and coaches from the camp.
“Basketball is what I do, it’s not who I am,” said Obanor. “I’m a man of God and a man that’s willing to help and wanting to help and serve as many people as I can.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to be the best basketball player I can be to then put myself in the position to help as many lives as I can.”
Obanor is averaging 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds over four games with Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors’ G-League affiliate, this season. They hosted the Long Island Nets on Friday night at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ont.
“Kevin is the rare player who impacts the community in team-planned events and through unprompted acts of individual kindness,” said Raptors 905 general manager Luke Winn. “Even in Kevin’s first days with our organization, when he was in pre-season workouts with the Raptors and had yet to earn a single professional paycheque, he was spending some of his downtime taking homeless people shopping for items of need.
“He maintained that spirit of selflessness and giving throughout his season with the 905.”
Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said after Thursday’s 110-105 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves that the entire NBA team would be at Paramount Fine Foods Centre for the 905′s home opener.
“We’re one family. We’re one team, and that’s how we operate,” said Rajakovic. “It’s going to be awesome to see our guys perform there. We’re going to go and cheer for them and get the W.”