nbaman99
10-17-2010, 10:51 AM
Let me introduce you to a very special professional athlete, someone who still is a kid at heart, who knows how fortunate he is, and who believes giving back should come natural.
Wow.
And he's an NBA player, teetering on superstardom in yet another sport polluted by ego and disloyalty, of which he has distanced himself.
Wow, again.
San Antonio Spurs' guard George Hill, a native Hoosier, played at Indianapolis Broad Ripple High School, then helped put IUPUI on the college basketball map.
There, he hoped to play alongside Merrillville recruit Lavell Cook, who died shortly after in a car crash.
Hill did briefly share the court with former Bishop Noll star Gary Patterson, and they remain good friends to this day.
During a Friday visit by region native Gregg Popovich, who happens to be Hill's admiring coach, I learned this kid is way more than just an athlete.
"George Hill is one of the best," Popovich said of giving back. "This summer, he flew a big group from his camp in Indianapolis (to San Antonio) at his own expense, put them on buses, took them down to south Texas, put them up at a hotel, gave talks, gave clinics, trying to expose them to different things.
"The Spurs didn't even know he did it. He's just one of the most selfless kids."
Hill reaches out to the less fortunate without sending news releases or renting billboard space. He was actually caught off guard when I approached him Friday at the Popovich appearance.
His "George Hill Rising Stars Foundation" enables youngsters to learn life skills and self-discipline -- qualities that will make them better persons.
Hoops is not the end-all solution in his classroom.
"Taking them around the U.S., showing them different things like visiting the White House, bringing them down to Texas and having a family-and-fun night inspired me because no one gave back to us when I was a kid," Hill said.
"I always told myself when I do make it, I want to make a difference in my community."
This past summer, Hill toured with 37 kids. They were allowed to bring along both parents and siblings, raising the number to almost 70 people.
There was no plane, however.
"I wanted them to experience different places on the road, so I rented like six 24-passenger vans and drove them all down," Hill recalled. "I paid for the hotel when they got to San Antonio and they stayed from Monday through Monday."
Along the way was a stop in Memphis to visit Elvis Presley's Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King.
Soaking up culture was how Hill described the trip.
In San Antonio, his kids drove go-karts, played laser tag and went to Six Flags.
"You name it, we did it," Hill said.
The final night, they all stayed at his San Antonio home. It was like grade-school recess.
"We had big pillow fights, watched movies, just had fun," he said. "I look at all the kids as my brothers.
"It's a big brother, little brother type of thing."
I'll say it again. Wow.
http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/columnists/al-hamnik/article_ebca867c-7d14-5891-b852-79084c902575.html
Wow.
And he's an NBA player, teetering on superstardom in yet another sport polluted by ego and disloyalty, of which he has distanced himself.
Wow, again.
San Antonio Spurs' guard George Hill, a native Hoosier, played at Indianapolis Broad Ripple High School, then helped put IUPUI on the college basketball map.
There, he hoped to play alongside Merrillville recruit Lavell Cook, who died shortly after in a car crash.
Hill did briefly share the court with former Bishop Noll star Gary Patterson, and they remain good friends to this day.
During a Friday visit by region native Gregg Popovich, who happens to be Hill's admiring coach, I learned this kid is way more than just an athlete.
"George Hill is one of the best," Popovich said of giving back. "This summer, he flew a big group from his camp in Indianapolis (to San Antonio) at his own expense, put them on buses, took them down to south Texas, put them up at a hotel, gave talks, gave clinics, trying to expose them to different things.
"The Spurs didn't even know he did it. He's just one of the most selfless kids."
Hill reaches out to the less fortunate without sending news releases or renting billboard space. He was actually caught off guard when I approached him Friday at the Popovich appearance.
His "George Hill Rising Stars Foundation" enables youngsters to learn life skills and self-discipline -- qualities that will make them better persons.
Hoops is not the end-all solution in his classroom.
"Taking them around the U.S., showing them different things like visiting the White House, bringing them down to Texas and having a family-and-fun night inspired me because no one gave back to us when I was a kid," Hill said.
"I always told myself when I do make it, I want to make a difference in my community."
This past summer, Hill toured with 37 kids. They were allowed to bring along both parents and siblings, raising the number to almost 70 people.
There was no plane, however.
"I wanted them to experience different places on the road, so I rented like six 24-passenger vans and drove them all down," Hill recalled. "I paid for the hotel when they got to San Antonio and they stayed from Monday through Monday."
Along the way was a stop in Memphis to visit Elvis Presley's Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King.
Soaking up culture was how Hill described the trip.
In San Antonio, his kids drove go-karts, played laser tag and went to Six Flags.
"You name it, we did it," Hill said.
The final night, they all stayed at his San Antonio home. It was like grade-school recess.
"We had big pillow fights, watched movies, just had fun," he said. "I look at all the kids as my brothers.
"It's a big brother, little brother type of thing."
I'll say it again. Wow.
http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/columnists/al-hamnik/article_ebca867c-7d14-5891-b852-79084c902575.html