The Los Angeles Lakers announced Luka Doncic is partnering with ESPN to become a Take Back Sports Ambassador, a new initiative designed to help kids stay active and engaged in sports.
ESPN launched the initiative earlier this year in collaboration with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Take Back Sports aims to address critical challenges in the youth sports landscape, focusing on three primary areas: philanthropy and investing, a national campaign and purposeful storytelling.
Doncic and his foundation the Luka Doncic Foundation mark the newest partnership with Take Back Sports and the Lakers star issued a statement on why it was important for him to get involved.
“Play changed my life. Every kid deserves the chance to play, learn, grow, have fun and make friends,” said Luka Doncic. “The Luka Doncic Foundation and ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative are focused on making youth sports more accessible and less stressful for everyone. Together, we can bring the joy back to the game.”
Doncic has spoken previously what it meant for him to grow up playing multiple sports, keeping him healthy and engaged as a child. He has invested plenty of time and resources into youth sports as he and his foundation also partnered with the Aspen Institute to help drive structural change. Doncic and his foundation also helped lead a study into youth sports and how players develop in the United States versus internationally.
It’s clear that getting kids to stick to sports long-term means something to Doncic and he continues to show how willing he is to contribute. Doncic has to be considered one of the most generous superstars in the league as he also announced he would donate $5 million to 77 athletes to help them reach their dreams after he signed his extension with the Lakers.
Doncic was already beloved in Los Angeles, but his generosity and charitable efforts make him even even easier to root for. The Lakers are fortunate to have someone like Doncic who is so willing to give back to the community and hopefully he stays in L.A. for the remainder of his career.
Mark Walter is huge Luka Doncic fan
Luka Doncic made sure to thank Mark Walter after signing his extension, a nod to the Lakers’ new majority owner. The two were finally able to meet after the team took Doncic to see the Backstreet Boys and he is reportedly a huge fan of the superstar.
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