ORLANDO – Entering the All-Star break of his fourth season in the NBA, Wendell Carter Jr. is showing tremendous growth on the court.
The versatile big man is averaging career highs in points (14.0), rebounds (10.2), and assists (2.7) this season, while also playing some of his best defense since he’s entered the league.
Yet, when asked where the Duke alum has shown the most growth this season, his head coach did not point to his improved 3-point shooting, his playmaking or defensive prowess. Instead, Orlando Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley praised Carter for his strides in leadership both on and off the court.
“The one thing that I really have just loved the most more than anything that has shown up on the court is his off-the-court as well as locker room presence,” Mosley said of the 22-year-old Atlanta native. “His ability to lead. He does it in such a way that it’s not necessarily his physical presence, but his voice just says so much to these guys.”
So, it’s only fitting that as the NBA heads into All-Star weekend, Carter tipped off his break not by going on a lavish vacation – which would certainly have been well deserved by the way – but instead by speaking to a group of young men about the importance of education, leadership, and guidance as they make their journey through life.
On Thursday, Carter met with a select group of young men, ages 14-18, who are part of the Boys2Men mentoring program, at the Repertory Theatre in Orlando and spoke to them about the importance of education and community resources to experience a higher quality of life.
“It’s an honor. Looking back when I was their age, I never thought I would be in this position where I’m able to walk in a room where I’ve got all eyes and ears on me and they’re trying to learn things from my life,” said Carter. “I just want to be able to help as many of them as I can in any shape, form or fashion.”
There were many lessons that Carter delivered to group of young men in the Boys2Men mentoring program, a nonprofit organization committed to creating communities of empowerment for all teenage boys on their journey to manhood.
At the forefront was the importance of education, a value instilled in him by his mother, who would not let him participate in basketball games during high school unless he had all As. That standard helped provide him with options upon graduation as he not only had a plethora of athletic scholarships to choose from, but also academic acceptance into Ivy League institutions like Harvard.
“I give a lot of credit to both of my parents. I was lucky enough to have both of them in my life,” Carter said. “I just give a lot of credit to them. Like I said, they weren’t really big on me going to the NBA. That was never their first goal with me. They wanted me to be good on the academic side and also, just be a good person.”
Additional topics included the value of living in the moment and not letting past mistakes or anxiety about future events overwhelm your thought process. That was guidance he picked up from a mentor of his own, legendary Duke Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“Living in the moment (is the biggest lesson I want them to take away). I feel like a lot of people get caught up in the past or things that they went through,” Carter explained. “People get caught up in trying to see what’s going to happen in the future. Sometimes we take for granted what is right in front of us. One of my mentors, Coach K, was the person who taught me that when I got to Duke. Being able to live in the moment and not putting too much energy into the past or the future. Staying present.”
It’s not just lip service from Carter. He’s put these lessons into action both on and off the court this season and displayed phenomenal personal growth in the process.
Earlier this year, he spoke up at halftime of the Magic’s home game against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 23. At the time, Orlando was amidst a four-game losing skid, where the team had either blown a first-half lead or let the game get away from them early in the second half.
Rather than sit back, he chose to speak up, address the team and point out the areas where the group needed to improve in the second half of games.
“I definitely grew in that aspect,” said Carter, whose words helped lead Orlando to a 114-95 victory over Chicago. “Every time we go into halftime and we’re up I kind of think about that moment. We had been there plenty of times and I felt like it was the perfect opportunity. We had lost a lot of games in a row, and I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to (point out) that we’ve been here before. … I felt like it wasn’t on the coaches, it was on us. I spoke up and they got behind what I was saying.”
While Carter has developed as a leader, he was quick to point out to the group that he still has room to grow and has a number of life goals to check off along the way.
Among them, play a full season without missing a game, finish his college studies and get his degree, improve his skills as an actor – Carter participated in plays during his time at school – and most importantly, win an NBA championship.
It’ll be no surprise if Carter, just as he’s done throughout his life, achieves all of those lofty goals.