On Martin Luther King Day, Sean Kilpatrick and Trevor Booker spent time building and painting bookshelves and benches for the Brownsville Ascend Lower School in Brooklyn New York.
While the NBA and Nets representatives spoke on a higher plane of the significance of King’s legacy, the two Nets spoke of what it was like to do what they did, even if their contributions were small.
“MLK day is a day for giving back. We decided to represent, help others and being able to help others in our community, especially with those guys supporting us,” Kilpatrick said of Monday. “I think it’s actually good that we spend a day, or a couple of hours with those guys. It shows them our appreciation and what we can do off the court, especially with me. I’ve never really had the experience of nailing a shelf, and actually did it yesterday and it felt good.”
More than every league in the country, the NBA has made a concerted effort to serve the community and aid citizens in daily tasks. Booker shared the same sentiments , expressing his thoughts on MLK Day, and focusing on the impact made for others.
“It’s very important,” Booker told the media at Tuesday’s shootaround. “Yesterday was a special day, MLK Day, so it made it extra important and extra special. It’s always important to go into the community and help.”
It’s always interesting, too, when players participate in neighborhoods whether it’s providing assistance in assembling structures after an unfortunate hurricane season, or simply passing down knowledge in the game. Kilpatrick, 27, who referred to the day as “more than basketball” on his Twitter account Monday afternoon, joked about how he did something he’s never done before.
“I screwed in a shelf with the power drill, that was the first time I’ve ever even touched a power drill, and they taught me in a span of five minutes,” Kilpatrick said with a laugh.
Booker, 30, seemed crestfallen by Kilpatrick’s comment, playfully ripping his teammate.
“I think it’s the first time he ever worked in his life,” Booker said of SK, who couldn’t have been standing more than 20 feet away or so at the time. “First of all he got there late. I mean he should’ve known how to put a screw in and drill it, which he didn’t know how to do. They had to show him everything, I was disappointed.”
Well, they still have their sense of humor.