Growing up the son of an NBA player, Magic guard Jett Howard understands the impact he can have on those in the community.
That’s why on Tuesday afternoon Howard, whose father Juwan played almost two decades in the league, treated 15 kids from the Alzheimer’s Association to a holiday shopping spree at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Orlando.
The experience brought back memories for the 22-year-old who grew up in South Florida.
“I was just a super basketball-head as a kid and seeing an NBA player in-person, that meant a lot,” said Jett Howard, who’s in his third season with the Magic.
But the event meant much more to Howard than just being able to help out local kids who had the chance to buy whatever they wanted at the store, ranging from new shoes to a bike.
Howard, whose grandmother suffers from Alzheimer’s, has seen firsthand the impact of the disease.
“Researching everything and realizing that this is a serious thing that people go through, that’s what makes it so important for me just to be here and give back to people that are dealing with similar situations,” he said.
Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel
Magic guard Jett Howard gets a picture taken with some young shoppers he hosted at a holiday shopping event for local youth at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Orlando on Tuesday. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
While the Magic organization as a whole does work in the community throughout the year, Howard appreciates the chance to give back during the holiday season.
“It just makes it super special to bring everybody together during this time,” he said. “I tried to get them anything they wanted or just tried to build a relationship, trying to better someone’s day in the smallest way possible.”
That included playing catch with some of the kids or even helping them ride a bike perhaps too large for them. As their time wrapped up, the kids were each given an Orlando Magic-themed basketball that Howard later signed.
No matter the item, the Magic guard just wanted to bring a smile to their faces.
And he didn’t want the event to be solely focused on the gifts they were able to purchase.
“Not a transactional type, just more like a loving, caring, genuine impact,” Howard said. “Just someone who’s trying to make better of people’s situations (by) giving back.
“It means a lot.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com