Immanuel Quickley takes being a role model while improving the lives of kids to heart, and the Raptors point guard has been honoured by the NBA for the way he does it.
The 25-year-old Quickley has won the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for April, an award which 鈥渉onours the next generation of players鈥 commitment to positively impacting their community throughout the NBA season,鈥 the league announced Wednesday.
He has established four, four-year scholarships at his alma mater, John Carroll School in Bel Air, Md., and supported health and wellness through his participation with Courtside Care and his IQ5 Elite Youth Basketball Program.
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The scholarships are aimed specifically for boys and girls that play basketball and demonstrate the qualities of leadership, academic excellence and high character. Courtside Care is a collaborative effort between the Raptors, Sun Life and LAMP East Mississauga Health Clinic.
鈥淢y mom鈥檚 always said the best thing you can do is give back and help people,鈥 Quickley said in a news release. 鈥淪o yeah, I鈥檝e worked hard to be great on the court, but at the end of the day, it鈥檚 really about making sure it鈥檚 not just about me and doing things that matter off the court too.鈥
Those off-the-court efforts have been a constant over his five-year career split between 海角社区官网and New York.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 essential that we raise our children to know that everyone matters and everyone is important,鈥 Quickley鈥檚 mother Nitrease聽told the Star shortly after Quickley joined the Raptors in December, 2023.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e 25 in the prime of your life or if you鈥檙e 75 and served in the war, you have a story and you have something to give to the next generation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 essential to give back and to help somebody else.鈥
Quickley will receive the David Robinson trophy, and the NBA will donate $10,000 to Havre de Grace, Md., Boys and Girls Club in his hometown.
Quickley averaged 17.1 points and 5.8 assists per game in an injury-plagued 2024-25 season with the Raptors that limited him to just 33 games.
Doug Smith is a sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on
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