“ We strongly believe that the ultimate expression of gratitude is giving back.”

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 recognize the magnitude of my 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 Ghanaian roots and sharing some of the knowledge I have learned along the journey through our support of DUNK Grassroots.

The proceeds from our fundraiser are going to help DUNK Grassroots to continue their with their commitment and focus – improving the health and well-being of young people, with their innovative sports-based youth leadership curriculum that supports youth development in local communities to address modern social challenges. In December, our mission also involves a day where we will educate over 200 young athletes with onsite drills, development, and a tournament to help foster community, camaraderie, and competition.

Empowering our youth, starts with YOU! Join the movement. For more info visit www.soulmogul.com