For about an hour on Thursday, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Enes Kanter played pick up basketball, posed for selfies and signed autographs for young, aspiring players in San Juan City.
The 6-foot-11 Turkish big man loves being around kids and taking the long trip to this basketball-crazy country is more than worth it.
“It’s amazing how welcoming this country is,” said Kanter. “You can already see their love for basketball.”
Kanter is in Manila for a brief visit in line with his advocacies under the Enes Kanter Light Foundation, which was launched almost two years ago.
“I want to give kids hope and confidence” said Kanter. “I want them to dream big and help them achieve this dreams.”
The Thunder suffered a first-round exit in the NBA playoffs last month, bowing to the Houston Rockets.
Despite their defeat, Kanter said his teammate, Russell Westbrook, who finished the season with triple double averages in points, assists and rebounds, should be the Most Valuable Player of the season over James Harden.
“He’s an amazing player,” Kanter said of Westbrook. “It’s amazing to see how he makes himself better, his teammates and the organization. He doesn’t take a day off.”
Asked which team he is picking to win the title, Kanter said he was rooting for the Boston Celtics.
“Any team just not the (Golden State) Warriors,” Kanter said, referring to the team that former OKC star Kevin Durant joined last year. “But I like the Celtics to win.”