OUR STORY

My name is Kobe and my journey through high school, as a student and as a basketball athlete, was riddled with impactful experiences that have helped to shape my path forward. While I have always had to find balance between being a high achiever in the classroom, and being a high-performance player on the court, I knew that consistent effort produces great results. With growth, maturity and consistency both in the classroom and on the court my journey to earning a scholarship to Columbia University was realized in 2019. Now in my final year of university I have realized the magnitude of blessings and I’m focused on practicing gratitude. Just as I have put thousands of hours into my school work, and invested thousands of hours into honing my basketball skills, I know now that to be good at being grateful, it requires practice. I was blessed to have circumstances and an environment that allowed me the privilege of dedicating my focus to my efforts, but there is no greatness without gratitude. My gratitude inspires me to give back.

So together with my brother Zaveh who is also a high achiever in the classroom and on the court, we are honored to be supporting an organization like Dunk Grassroots, that is dedicated to improving the lives and education of underserved youth in Ghana. Our goal is to help plant the seeds of opportunity and we know that with dedication to our efforts, we will be able to nurture those opportunities and pay the lessons forward.

Basketball has blessed me equally off the court, as on. Not only did basketball facilitate the opportunity to receive my education, but there were many invaluable life lessons that came along with the sport. The process of trying to win a championship, and the life lessons it fosters extend far beyond the court. This makes basketball the perfect medium to inspire growth and excellence in our future generations. Although I am no longer competing, I’ve been able to partly accomplish this by coaching teams in NYC and doing personal training. I hope to fulfill the other half of my purpose, by returning to my Ghanian roots and sharing some of the knowledge I have learned along the journey  through our support of Dunk Grassroots.

Dunk Grassroots is an amazing charity that has been able to remain steadfast in its focus – improving the health and wellbeing of young people. They have succeeded in creating an innovative sports-based youth leadership curriculum that supports youth development in local communities to address modern social challenges. 

Together, we are on a mission to unlock potential for under-resourced youth to become impactful global leaders, through access to holistic educational opportunities, scholarships, resources, and community development. We are deeply grateful for your support and shared passion. Together, we can be part of the ripple effect and make a real difference creating a brighter future for these young people and help them soar to the next level.

Empowering our youth, starts with YOU! Join the movement!