Oklahoma City Thunder Player Comes Home To Philadelphia To Give Back
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Before their game against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night, a player from the Oklahoma City Thunder, born and bred in South Philadelphia, took time to give back days after violence rocked his family.
"I'm excited to be here," Dion Waiters told the crowd of students at the E.M. Stanton School at 17th and Christian Streets in South Philadelphia on Thursday.
Waiters is guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this is where the seed was planted.
It was at Stanton that his first grade teacher and others helped nurture his spirit. Waiters went on to high school, then Syracuse University and was drafted into the NBA in 2012. He joined the Oklahoma Thunder in 2015.
"That basketball court right there," he told the kids, "that's where it all started."
Waiters joined his family, teammates, and former teachers, presenting a $10,000 donation check that combined with contributions from the city of Philadelphia, Stanton Community Partners and the Public Land Truth, will provide more than $600,000 in renovations to the asphalt parking lot adjacent to the school. The result, will be a state of the art community playground.
"It's just a special moment for me and my family," says Waiters, "to be able to come back home and to give back to the school-- I'll never forget this."
Waiters comes home for the good times and the bad. Last week, his brother Demetrius Pinckney was found dead in on Morris Street in Grays Ferry. Police say the 21-year-old had severe injuries following an apparent argument with dirt bike quads.
"It's going to take me a long time to get over that," says Waiters, "that's my little brother. It's just sad. It's sad my whole family has to go through this."
Waiters says he couldn't save him, but he's hoping he can be an example to help the hundreds of kids walking the halls where he started.
"I'm just out here to show the kids that hard work pays off," he says, "you can be anything you want in life."
