Zach LaVine at the tender age of 21 is developing into quite the player on the court for the Timberwolves and quite the man off of it as well.
LaVine donated his winnings for the 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest to build a new kitchen for the Metro Deaf School for children in St. Paul Minnesota.
There are currently about 100 kids enrolled in the school and they previously had no real cafeteria or kitchen area to enjoy their lunches before LaVine helped buy them one.
According to Associated Press Writer Jon Krawczynski, LaVine has had an interest in working with deaf children ever since him and a friend decided to take sign language classes in high school.
“The kids were like, ‘He knows how to sign!'” said Susan Lane-Outlaw, the school’s executive director who was interviewed for the story. “That’s the biggest thing. He knows American Sign Language. I think the kids connect with that. From there it just blossomed.”
LaVine loves that he can brighten their day and connect with them in a way most people or professional athletes for that matter, can’t.
“I’m here. I can talk to them,” LaVine said. “If they look up to me and I can make their day brighter, I’m all for it. I think it’s really cool.”
This is just an example of a young NBA player with a good head on his shoulders to compliment his hops and vast potential.
It’s fun to find stories like this about athletes who use their platform and status as role models (whether that should be warranted or not) to improve their communities.
Zach LaVine and the T’Wolves seem to have a bright future.
