Indianapolis – Tobe Awaka for President?
You never know when it comes to Arizona’s big man. He’s that eclectic – sometimes electric – on the basketball court and most times off of it.
The dude is different. One of one as I said earlier this season when he was dominating on the court with his got-to-get-the-rebound effort. That hasn’t really changed. But the well-read senior reserve forward is as smart as they come.
Still, the want to be someone has driven him to be good. Very good.
So, what did he want to be when he grew up?
“I wanted to play football, be a football player, and then I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, and then I wanted to do Wall Street and all that,” he said recently.
Hell, who is to say he won’t be all that and more?
When he was being interviewed recently in a winning Arizona locker room, his teammates were saying: President.
He laughed.
“People ask me that,” he said, after teammate Jaden Bradley asked him if he thought working in politics was a possibility. “I’m not really into politics. President? Congress? I don’t know about that.”
Instead, he’s getting his degree in business administration. The point is, Awaka will be fine. Very fine, in fact.
“I think that’s what I’ve been leading towards more as of late, finance and stock market,” he said. “But honestly, as a kid, I was kind of all over the place. I wasn’t really thinking too far ahead, but I think whatever sounded cool.”
He has options.
“We’ll see,” he said. “I’m trying to make basketball work as long as possible, but I’m blessed to those things outside of basketball and other things that I’m passionate about. It helps takes things away from my focus of basketball.”
One would be his faith in God. He speaks of him often. His demeaner comes from it. He’s this bigger (literally) than life player who doesn’t show any emotions on the court. And that’s when there’s a good play and a bad play. He’s always stoic.
He smiled and laughed when I brought it up.
“I think it comes from my perspective of the game in the way that I look at it,” he said. “My faith in Christ has really built over the past four years of college, and I think that’s been really a good anchor point for me.
“Basketball has been a game that I love, but I feel getting caught up in the emotion of it (isn’t necessary). It’s not necessarily do or die, and I think that ultimately I’m playing for something greater (God). When people see that, it’s just really my being locked into my purpose for the game, and you know what I’m trying to sort of display or reflect that.”
His philosophy is “when you hit adversity, you have to ask yourself ‘what are you playing that game for? What is it? What does it mean?”
It’s why he’s a great teammate.
“He’s a great person,” Brayden Burries said. “You’d think he’s this big-ego guy but he’s not. He’s a great guy. He loves the Lord. Just a great guy who is a man-child.”
Great description. He’s exactly that. Remember he’s 6-foot-8, 250 pounds.
Just recently one TV analyst during a game said “that’s not AI folks” when Awaka was shown shooting a free throw.
He’s a big dude chiseled like The Rock.
How is it playing against him?
“It’s a relief when you don’t have to go against him,” Mo Krivas said, referring to practice.
“(But) he makes you get better. He’s helped a lot. It prepared you for the season because you don’t face guys like that.”
For all those reasons, he’s my favorite player. Again, he’s one of one and unlike any other player I’ve covered at Arizona. Not that many others weren’t great and different. Awaka is, well, just different. Equal parts basketball, scholar, good human being.
“I have more people come up to me and tell me Tobe Awaka’s their favorite player,” said Tommy Lloyd last week. “I think that’s so cool … he’s so thoughtful, so mature. He’s about the right things.
“Honestly, he’s been a real asset to our culture, and honestly, I felt we’ve always had a pretty good culture. I think he’s a key component for taking it to another level, on and off the court.
“I wish I could coach him forever. And hopefully we can find other ones like him in the future, because they make my job awesome, and they make coming to work every day special.”
Recommended for you
