Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter recently visited the Philippines to launch his charitable foundation which aims to help poor children.
Kanter interacted with underprivileged kids in a basketball clinic he hosted at Fountain International School last Thursday.
“I wanna inspire the kids about education and basketball. Number one priority is education. One of the most important things, I want to give them hope, I want to give them confidence. That’s what they need,” Kanter said.
During his short stay, Kanter knew first-hand how passionate Filipinos are in basketball.
“I can see their love for basketball. They’re taking pictures, trying to get autographs. That’s what really makes me happy,” said Kanter who spoke to the public wearing a Pilipinas jersey.
Kanter, who hails from Turkey, is also aware of Gilas Pilipinas’ quest for glory. He wished the team good luck in the ongoing SEABA Championship.
“I actually watched them on TV. They were getting ready for the tournament and I wanna say good luck to them. They have a special team. They’re a talented team. They can be successful if they work as a team,” he said.
Kanter also believes that there’s a lot of Filipino players who are capable of making it to the NBA.
“I see some talented basketball players out there. The only thing they need is to believe in themselves that they can do it. I hope soon, I will see five, 10, 15 Philippine players in the NBA,” Kanter said.
Kanter has a piece of advice for aspiring basketball players.
“I started playing basketball when I was 13 years old and then my dream is always to become an NBA player one day. You have to dream and you have to dream big. You have to work on it and chase your dreams. You have to focus on it 100-percent and then after I came to America, I attended college and then after, I was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2011 and since then I’m in the NBA,” he said.
