LA Clippers open technology lab at Honolulu middle school
HONOLULU - A middle school in Honolulu got a high-tech upgrade thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation in partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Following Media Day on Monday, the Clippers returned to Oahu for training camp for the fourth time since 2017. The players on the fully healthy roster have been putting in work at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus, and the week has also been dedicated to giving back to the community.
On Thursday, the two organizations unveiled a refurbished technology lab at Washington Middle School in Honolulu. Not only did the students get to see some new gadgets on campus for STEM classes, but they also got to meet and interact with Clippers rookies Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller, sophomore Moussa Diabaté, and veteran Robert Covington.
"We have a philosophy that we like to leave a place better than we found it and I think this is an opportunity for kids in middle school to explore areas that they otherwise may not have a chance to," said Gillian Zucker, LA Clippers President of Basketball Operations.
The upgraded and freshly painted tech lab now includes new laptops, robotics and virtual reality kits.
(LA Clippers)
"I’m over here like a kid in the candy store with these gadgets and stuff. These kids are really showing me something that I have never learned," said Clippers forward Robert Covington told FOX 11.
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Robert Covington, Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, and Moussa Diabaté interact with students at Washington Middle School in Honolulu. (KTTV: Kelli Johnson)
Earlier Thursday, Clippers alumni Craig Smith and local youth basketball coaches hosted a basketball clinic for 600 students on the school campus.
"You don’t always hear about the athletes giving back, so it’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do, being able to help the kids. At the end of the day, the kids are the future," said Clippers center Moussa Diabaté.
Head coach Ty Lue, several players and members of the Clippers staff also rolled up their sleeves and visited the Hawaii Food Bank in Oahu on Wednesday.
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On Sunday, the Clippers are set to take on the Utah Jazz in a preseason game with net proceeds going to the Maui Strong Fund.