On November 8th, San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich and shooting guard Bryn Forbes took a break from basketball, delivering brand new Nikes to all 374 students at Washington Elementary!
But that's not all – together with Coach Pop and Bryn, the Coyote, emcee JC, the Spurs Hype Squad, and POSSE Team also distributed Spurs t-shirts, socks, certificates for new uniforms, and gym bags for the kids. San Antonio Chief of Police, William McManus brought a team of police officers to help and to witness the fun, listening to the kids’ stories and teaching them how to tie their laces.
One student asked “Do I really get to keep these?” and was thrilled to hear that yes, he could!
The kids were elated to see the Spurs and police officers at their school. It was definitely an event they'll never forget. During an interview, player Bryn Forbes shared, “Part of my purpose as an athlete is to showcase that anything is possible. I want the kids to know they are capable of doing anything they want to do if they really put the work in.”
But the event didn't end there! Just when everyone thought the event was over, the Spurs emcee made an announcement, surprising the school's entire staff with new Nike shoes and a $100 gift card for classroom school supplies too! As any teacher knows, you spend a lot of time on your feet during the school day, so having comfortable shoes is imperative for the job.
This is the fourth year the Spurs have given shoes to kids in their community but it was the first year they were able to donate to the entire school, including students and staff. With his typical self-deprecation, Coach Pop talked about why the Spurs give: “Basketball is boring. You run and jump and shoot shots and that’s great and it’s how we make our living. But talk about satisfaction and feeling good about what you do, it’s the community things.”
