Current:Home > InvestThe Spurs held practice at a Miami Beach school. And kids there got a huge surprise-LoTradeCoin
The Spurs held practice at a Miami Beach school. And kids there got a huge surprise
View Date:2024-12-23 16:29:41
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jacob Assaraf lost a bet, so he had to go through classes at Hebrew Academy on Wednesday wearing a suit instead of more casual attire.
Turns out, that wasn’t the most unusual part of his day.
Members of the boys and girls basketball teams at the small private school got quite a surprise — they got to be in the gym to watch No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama, coach Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs having a gameday shootaround session on their court. Popovich even posed for pictures with the group and engaged the players in a question-and-answer session.
“It was amazing,” Assaraf said. “To hear from a legend like that ... even if you don’t follow basketball like I do, you know Gregg Popovich. A legendary coach, and to hear him speak was just amazing.”
The encounter started taking shape a few weeks ago, when someone from the Spurs called the school and asked if its facility would be available for practice. The Spurs, in Miami to play the Heat on Wednesday night, were staying nearby and teams often have a morning on-court workout before a game in the evening.
Hebrew Academy didn’t hesitate before saying yes. Having the school’s basketball players in the gym was not part of the plan — that is, until Wednesday morning. Shootarounds, like most NBA practices, are typically closed to outsiders.
“I was prepared to not have them here,” school athletic director Adam Sargent said. “And then, as things go, Pop shows up and tells somebody to tell somebody to tell somebody who told me that if we wanted to bring our varsity teams in here, go ahead.”
Word got out — fast. Some students climbed on gates outside the gym to peer through the windows just for a look at Wembanyama. Inside the gym, the Spurs heard the commotion. Wembanyama acknowledged the kids more than once, and a few more were waiting for him as he left the gym for the short walk back to the Spurs’ team buses.
The school’s teams were assembled in the hallway outside the gym, told a few ground rules — then went in to watch about the last 20 minutes of the session.
“It was cool to have the students in here,” Spurs guard Tre Jones said. “Obviously, they’re really excited, taking pictures. They were cheering us on. Every made shot, they were cheering. It was really cool to be able to do this. We’re in a unique position to be able to come out and do this, have a shootaround here, it means a lot.”
Popovich told the kids to remember the basics: try not to foul, limit turnovers, move the ball briskly from side to side. They were many of the same rules that Hebrew Academy’s coaches try to instill as well — although hearing those words from a five-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time win leader seemed to carry a little more weight.
“I just talked to Gregg Popovich. My heart is shaking,” Hebrew Academy center Dov Shapiro said. “He looks much better in person.”
Shapiro left an AP calculus class when he heard the Spurs were in the gym. It was worth the risk of a teacher perhaps being a bit miffed, he said.
“I’ll miss 100 classes to see Wemby,” Shapiro said. “And to talk to Pop, come on. It’s life-changing.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
veryGood! (85)
Related
- New York nursing home operator accused of neglect settles with state for $45M
- 2024 women's NCAA Tournament Final Four dates, game times, TV, location, teams and more
- Biden campaign releases ad attacking Trump over abortion
- Company helping immigrants in detention ordered to pay $811M+ in lawsuit alleging deceptive tactics
- South Carolina lab recaptures 5 more escaped monkeys but 13 are still loose
- George Carlin estate settles with podcasters over fake comedy special purportedly generated by AI
- Shannen Doherty is getting rid of her possessions amid breast cancer journey
- Major interstate highway shut down in Philadelphia after truck hits bridge
- RHOBH's Kyle Richards Addresses PK Kemsley Cheating Rumors in the Best Way Possible
- Why Euphoria's Hunter Schafer Isn’t Ready to Date After Dominic Fike Break Up
Ranking
- Sports are a must-have for many girls who grow up to be leaders
- 'Kia Boys' flee police in Washington before crashing, chopper footage shows
- Complications remain for ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse | The Excerpt
- Stock market today: Asian shares drop after Wall Street sinks on rate worries
- Jack Del Rio leaving Wisconsin’s staff after arrest on charge of operating vehicle while intoxicated
- Uvalde mayor resigns citing health issues in wake of controversial report on 2022 school shooting
- J.K. Rowling calls for own arrest for anti-trans rhetoric amid Scotland's new hate crime law
- Trump goes after Biden on the border and crime during midwestern swing
Recommendation
-
Threat closes Spokane City Hall and cancels council meeting in Washington state
-
Hunter Biden's motions to dismiss tax charges all denied by judge
-
What do a top-secret CIA mission and the Maryland bridge wreck have in common? Well, the same crane
-
Suspect captured in Kentucky after Easter shooting left 1 dead, 7 injured at Nashville restaurant
-
Asian sesame salad sold in Wegmans supermarkets recalled over egg allergy warning
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Face First
-
Germany changes soccer team jerseys over Nazi symbolism concerns
-
Larry Lucchino, force behind retro ballpark revolution and drought-busting Red Sox, dies at 78