Nazr’s road takes him home, he gives back

Nazr Mohammed is the epitome of the NBA journeyman. In his 14 NBA seasons he’s seen seven different cities on a long and winding road. He’s even won a championship along the way. But journeymen like Nazr tend to find their way back home, and thanks to a recent deal with the Chicago Bulls, he’s done exactly that.

Mohammed was raised in the windy city, learning to play basketball in the proverbial shadow of Sears Tower. He attended Kenwood Academy high school before following the blue brick road out of town and towards Lexington, where he became a tower of his own. Now almost two decades later, Nazr’s road has taken him back to Chicago, and in a charitable example of give and take, he’s decided to give back to his community by supporting his childhood high school with an upcoming fundraiser.

It’s not surprising Mohammed’s fundraising focus is on a high school, because homecomings always lead to high schools. Nazr’s has been no different. Kenwood Academy may be nothing more than a typical urban public school to most of the world, but to Nazr it was the first stop in a very long basketball journey. And like many roadside attractions of years gone by, Kenwood Academy has its fair share of chipped paint and dusty corners.

“I saw so much hadn’t been touched,” Mohammed lamented. “There were needs throughout the school gym, labs, theater, painting. It almost seemed like it hadn’t been touched since I left. At first, I thought I’d make a donation. But so much needed to be addressed, I realized my donation might not do enough and came up with the idea for the fundraiser.”

Mohammed’s nostalgia-powered fundraiser takes place August 24 at Pazzo’s in Chicago. Proceeds will be matched by the Nazr Mohammed Foundation, and support will go directly to Kenwood Academy. Tickets can be obtained from the Nazr Mohammed Foundation, for those seeking to support a pit stop and a good cause. Donations can also be mailed directly to the foundation’s Lexington address.

Some roads lead to dead ends, and some roads lead back home. Nazr Mohammed’s journey has taken a lot of him and even lead to a few dead ends, but he never forgot how important it is to give when the road leads back home.