He met the former NBA All-Star champion last June at a father-and-son
basketball clinic and the experience changed his life.
“Listening to him speak was unbelievable,” the assistant men’s basketball coach said. “No words can express the knowledge that Mr. Houston has not only as an influential guy, but as a person that touches people’s lives.”
Houston will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Bovee University Center Auditorium at an event hosted by the Center for Global Sports Leadership.
Houston played from 1993 to 2005, first with the Detroit Pistons and then the New York Knicks.
He was a number 11 first-round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1993 NBA Draft, and averaged 14.5 and 19.7 points per game within the next couple years.
Houston will address what he believes exemplifies leadership by using his personal experiences as an athlete and someone who promotes service outside his sport, said Ryan Lambert, assistant director of the Center for Global Sports Leadership.
Houston will also discuss the work he has completed with his own “Father Knows Best Foundation,” among other topics.
“I think what he is going to speak about will be able to impact any student or administrator, Lambert said. “Because he understood caring for others and giving back to the community.”
Chatman proposed that Houston speak at CMU because of his philanthropic efforts.
“The first person that came to my mind was Allan Houston without a doubt,” Chatman said. “It was a no-brainer. I knew he was a great basketball player, but he is a better person.”
Canton graduate student Scott George is also an assistant director at the Center for Global Sports Leadership. He said the speech will help dispel negative images of sports players.
“We thought Houston would be a good example of the positive impact sports can have in the world,” George said.
Chatman hopes people decide to attend.
“Once you hear him speak from his heart it overwhelms you,” Chatman said.
The event is free and open to the public.
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