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SALT LAKE CITY — The kids should probably listen to Ekpe Udoh.
Actually, maybe everyone should.
As Udoh left the locker room following the Utah Jazz’s 108-103 win over the Warriors on Wednesday, he hollered a suggestion. It wasn’t intended for any specific person. It was meant for anyone within earshot — his teammates, the Jazz staffers, the assembled media members. Really, it was for anyone who cared to listen.
“Call your mother, and tell her you love her,” Udoh said as he walked out the door.
It wasn’t the first time he gave a parting message to the Jazz locker room, (just last week he encouraged everyone to “give $1 to a homeless person” on their way home), and it likely won’t be his last.
Udoh is a man that sees himself as much more than just a basketball player. He’s a scholar, a philanthropist, a citizen. He wants to help the community he is in. It’s why he has hosted a book club for the last six years — a club that, yes, made it all the way to Istanbul when he played in Turkey. It’s why he’s asked to participate in a public education forum with teachers and students. And it's why he’s now hoping to pass some of the things he's learned from a career that began as a lottery selection and has taken him to Europe twice before landing him back in the NBA with the Jazz.
On Dec. 7, Udoh went from an end-of-the-bench player to a much-needed contributor after Rudy Gobert was ejected 3 minutes into Utah’s win over Houston. He ended up scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds, and something he said following the contest prompted his latest Twitter campaign.
“It’s important for the young hoopers in the world that are out of the rotation to keep working, just stay ready — your time is going to come, and when it comes, the work you put in will show,” Udoh said after the contest.
And just like that Udoh’s #younghoopers was born. Over the last two weeks, Udoh has periodically been using social media to give some advice to the young basketball players of the world.
I'm gonna start a Young Hoopers hashtag to encourage my youngins out here tryna get it!!! But don't be upset at my hard advice. Just here to empower y'all...#YoungHoopers
— Ekpe Udoh (@EkpeUdoh) December 8, 2018
✌🏿
There have been simple messages like, “don’t believe the hype.” And more specific ones like “work on your midrange game. The best scorers ever had/have midrange game," before listing a number of moves for young players to practice.
While the idea to give advice may have sprung from a thought he had after a game, it was truly inspired by going around and watching some local high school basketball games. He watched how they played and knew they could use some help.
“(I've been) seeing kids just go one-on-one and shoot deep 3s,” Udoh said. “They see the Warriors, but the Warriors are one of the best shooting teams in the world.”
High school teams are not.
During his time playing abroad — Udoh played in Israel in 2011 and in Turkey from 2015-2017 — Udoh realized how well the game was taught overseas. He said it wasn’t filled with the “one-on-one, YouTube-centered culture” that he sees so often in America. He’s hoping to provide little reminders that those things don’t necessarily translate into a collegiate or professional career.
But the messages aren’t just for the basketball-playing world. They can often be translated into general life advice. While a midrange game won't be much use outside of a basketball court, many of the overriding themes can help just about anyone.
Specifically speaking about his first message to the young hoopers (“Stay ready!!! You never know when that opportunity is gonna come…”), Udoh said it’s rare to know when a chance will arrive — in every aspect of life.
“You never know when that the big article is going to come, or the big case, and you are just thrown into the fire,” Udoh said.
Udoh’s ability to stay prepared is appreciated by his teammates and coaches.
“Coaches, we always say, ‘be ready, you never know when your time will come,’ and all that,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “Sometimes, those words seem hollow.”
Udoh shows they aren’t. And he’s hopeful the young hoopers — not to mention anyone else — will prove his words aren’t either.
They can start by calling their mothers.
