Obi Toppin — big man back on campus

The gym was packed a half hour before basketball camp even started. In RecPlex, over the hype music being played on the speakers, the sounds of bouncing balls competed with the squeak of sneakers on the hardwood. As the children lined up, one of the coaches took the mic, instructing the young ballers to get quiet and then clap on queue: “Four, three, two, one ...” And then 150 kids screamed “Obi!”

Indiana Pacers power forward and former Flyer Obi Toppin was in town for his fourth annual event, supported by ProCamps and CareSource, which provided scholarships to 75 children from under-resourced households.

Toppin said how much he enjoys seeing the young players grow.

“These kids come here, have a smile on their faces,” he said. “I get to see them improve each day.”

Toppin remembered back to when he was their age. He said he spent lots of time outside, playing every sport. In the park, he’d watch players going to the hoop, including his father, who he learned from.

The children got to learn from Toppin as he offered advice — “watch your feet, watch your feet” — and encouragement — “hey, way to move that ball!” One child under 4 feet tried to guard Toppin as the pro went to the rim. While Toppin had the edge, he could not match the smile on the face of the boy who will forever remember the day he high-fived the Flyer.

Photos by Sylvia Stahl