WTHR
WTHR
Riley Kids help design game shoes for IU alum Cody Zeller
We all knew there would be big shoes to fill when Cody Zeller left Indiana University and moved on to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
“What size are those?” Eyewitness News reporter Kevin Rader asked Zeller while looking at his shoes during an exclusive one-on-one interview after practice Tuesday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“Sixteen,” he replied.
“I told them there is a lot of real estate on these shoes,” Zeller laughed. “A lot of free room for drawing.”
So he asked the kids at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health to use his shoes as a canvas – and they did.
“We got a basketball hoop, a barn on the side, race car and then the Riley Red Wagon,” he pointed out on one of his shoes.
Twelve-year-old Jack Moon, a Riley Hospital cancer survivor from Plainfield, is one of the honored artists. He drew the hoop.
“I drew a picture of (the) Indiana outline, because Cody Zeller went to school in Indiana and that because he plays basketball,” he said pointing to the basketball hoop design he drew.
Now Jack and all the other kids who helped design the shoe will have a meet and greet with Cody prior to Tuesday night’s game with the Pacers at the Fieldhouse.
For the record, we should tell you Cody designed the other shoe himself, but that may be obvious.
“The candy stripes. The Indiana logo. A little barn with a hoop on it and a crazy amount of detail on it. The artist is really impressive how he could do all that and the ‘Welcome to Indiana’ and the ‘Hoosiers’ movie,” he showed us with pride.
Tomorrow I’ll be wearing these sweet Indiana themed #KicksForKids designed by kids at Riley Hospital for Children! With a $15,000 donation to @RileyKids I want to continue to encourage kids to make the most of their childhood and never grow up! pic.twitter.com/7AY5ruJueX
— Cody Zeller (@CodyZeller) February 25, 2020
Zeller actually first pitched the idea just last month.
“He wanted to give back to Riley Kids. Riley is one of his priority projects. He talked through us his vision to put Riley child art on his shoes for tonight’s game,” said Jason Mueller, assistant vice president of communication for Riley Children’s Foundation.
After Tuesday’s game, Zeller will donate the shoes to Riley for auction.
“He’s our kind of person. Our kind of celebrity. He doesn’t forget where he came from. Understanding the journey kids here face when they are patients at Riley,” Mueller said.
“It’s fun to be back home. Fun to give back to Riley. The shoes turned out really cool as well,” Zeller said.
His shoes are still hard to fill.
The Comeback
The Comeback
Hornets’ Dwayne Bacon, Frank Kaminsky, Malik Monk and Cody Zeller dress as superheroes for hospital visit
It’s always cool to see athletes taking the time to visit kids in hospital, and members of the Charlotte Hornets put a great Halloween twist on that Thursday. Athletes in costumes are always fun, and swingman Dwayne Bacon, center Frank Kaminsky, guard Malik Monk and forward Cody Zeller went to Charlotte’s Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital along with the Hornets’ mascot, and dressed as superheroes:
Trick-or-Treat!! @CodyZeller, @FSKPart3, @BaconDwayne1000 & @AhmadMonk delivering candy at @NovantHealth Hemby Children's Hospital!🎃 https://t.co/6VecMrn8P2
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 26, 2017
Who's got the best Halloween costume #BuzzCity? #SwarmtoServe pic.twitter.com/Oa81sfkXLu
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 26, 2017
Seven-footers Zeller and Kaminsky particularly stand out in their Superman and Batman costumes. It’s impressive that they were able to find ones that fit; that’s a much taller version of Batman versus Superman than we’ve ever seen on movie screens. Kaminsky also posted a video with him doing a pretty great Christian Bale as Batman voice:
Frank Kaminsky and the Hornets dressed up to visit a children’s hospital! 😄 pic.twitter.com/1HPwLOBySI
— Alysha Tsuji (@AlyshaTsuji) October 26, 2017
It’s cool to see these players taking part in this, and neat that they found a creative way to hopefully cheer up some sick kids.
The Player's Tribune
The Players' Tribune
My Awkward Phone Call with Michael Jordan
The first time I met Michael Jordan, I might have big-timed him. Maybe.
Not sure, but might I have.
Let me explain.
It was NBA Draft Day 2013 and up to that last minute I honestly didn’t know who would draft me. All the way up until David Stern called my name. My brothers Luke and Tyler, who had both gone through the process, told me from the year before that our agent would be able to tell me a couple minutes before the official announcement. He would get a call or text from the team. But when Charlotte came up on the clock for the fourth pick, still no phone call. I figured Charlotte had passed on me. (My agent later told me that he already knew a couple minutes before but he just wanted me to sweat it out. To be fair, I probably deserved it after all the pranks that I have played on him.)
I was hoping that Charlotte would draft me because it’s a great city and was going to be a perfect opportunity to play right away. My workout in Charlotte went well and my interview was fairly easy. I was surprised by how easy it was, actually, which made me a little suspicious. But you never know what teams really think because it’s a game GMs sometimes play with each other. I’ve heard stories of teams promising three or four players that they would draft them with their one pick. I think maybe Charlotte was worried that if they were too obvious that they liked me and wanted to draft me, then one of the three teams in front of them would draft me and ask for a lot in return in a trade. Only a few days before the draft Orlando, who had the second pick, flew me in to workout. Maybe it was strategy, maybe it was all just a game. It’s crazy how much of a business the NBA is.
O.K., the MJ story.
Right after I shook hands with David Stern, I was handed a phone. Standard procedure for the draftee to talk to the front office of their new team. The Charlotte PR guy told me three people would come on the line, first Rod Higgins (the president of basketball operations), then Rich Cho (the general manager) and finally Michael Jordan (uh, no intro needed). Suddenly I got really nervous and excited — I was going to get a chance to talk to Michael himself. Remember, I didn’t know Charlotte would take me, so I hadn’t considered the Michael Jordan conversation until that moment. And I’m only 21. This is Michael Jordan.
The next thought was: can we speed through everyone so I can talk to MJ?
So I talked to Rod Higgins for about a minute. I don’t remember much, I just remember being a little short with him. I wasn’t being rude, but I was just trying to get to #23. “Thanks for the opportunity, I look forward to playing for such a great organization,” etc. Rod said, “Alright, I’m going to pass on the phone. Congrats and welcome to the team.” Next on the phone was Rich, the GM. Rich was the one that I had talked with the most in the organization up to that point, so I recognized his voice. But again, I just said some pleasantries and raced through it — because MJ was next. “Thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to playing for the Bobcats,” etc. Let’s get on with it. I was imagining what I’d say to Michael. I’d tell him he was the best ever. I’d tell him how I watched him my whole life. I’d tell him how I admired his business skills. For the 14-year-old Cody Zeller, it was all a dream.
Then he said “Alright, I’m going to pass the phone on to Rich….”
I froze. That meant it was Michael Jordan on the line. He had gone out of order. I scrambled to say, “Thank you, Mr. Jordan” — or maybe I just said, “O.K.” I have no idea. I had just rambled on for a minute to the best basketball player ever and I didn’t even know it was him.
In the two years since I joined the Bobcats, a lot of people have asked me what it’s like interacting with MJ. It’s been great. The players all see him in the halls or in the training room or at practice (sometimes he likes to sit on the bench and talk to the refs). But I still think of that draft night phone call. Until now I’ve never really told anyone — because you never want to be known for big-timing His Airness.
NBA Draft Interviews
Draft Day brings back a lot of other memories. This was my thought this year: the physical side of the NBA Draft gets all the publicity. Everyone talks about the workouts and the combine and all the stats and figures under the sun. You hear about the vertical jump, the three-quarter court sprint (our version of the 40), our height, weight, etc. (I like to play a game where I count every time an analyst refers to a draftee as “long” or “having a big upside.” It’s a lot.) The physical stuff is obviously really important. But it’s no secret inside the NBA that the team interviews are in some ways more important than the physical tests.
The NBA draft is a job interview — for most guys, this is the first and biggest job interview of their lives. In 2013 when I entered the draft, I did 14 interviews in three days. Each interview was 30 minutes long. Imagine coming out of college and going to Silicon Valley for a long weekend to interview for 14 jobs between Friday and Monday. It was fun but really exhausting. Here’s a list of my schedule to give you an idea:
6:00pm-6:30 p.m. Toronto
7:10pm-7:40 p.m. Houston
7:45pm-8:15 p.m. Portland
8:20pm-8:50 p.m. Boston
3:15pm-3:45 p.m. Utah
3:50pm-4:20 p.m. Philadelphia
5:00pm-5:30 p.m. Detroit
6:35pm-7:05 p.m. Atlanta
7:45pm-8:15 p.m. New Orleans
8:20pm-8:50 p.m. Oklahoma City
3:15pm-3:45 p.m. Orlando
3:50pm-4:20 p.m. Washington
4:25pm-4:55 p.m. Charlotte
5:00pm-5:30 p.m. San Antonio
Between the draft combine and the day of the draft, I worked out for 10 teams. Seven of them were individual workouts and three were against other guys. The workouts were all pretty much the same — various drills and exercises. The surprising part of the process was the amount of research teams do on the draftees. It’s like you’re running for president. They do background checks. They call your high school teachers and childhood friends. They know if you have a girlfriend or if you ever got a speeding ticket. It’s their job to know the person they might be drafting and they leave no stone unturned.
The player interviews are the last piece of the puzzle. Here are some notes from my interview experience:
1) Dress for the job you want. After my first few interviews on day one, I was sweating like crazy. I had asked a stylist what to wear and she suggested a green collared shirt, but in my excitement I forgot to wear an undershirt. Big mistake. It was really hot in the hotel rooms where the interviews happened, so I had armpit stains and was sweating all over. As embarrassing as it was, it actually ended up being a good ice breaker as the day went on. Teams would say things like, “Wow! Who interviewed you before us?! They must’ve asked some tough questions!” or “Were you running sprints in the hallway?!” The moral of the story is: be prepared to deal with fashion disasters — and never forget an undershirt.
2) Do your research. Toronto was my first interview so I didn’t know what to expect. They asked the only question that stumped me all week with a seemingly simple one:
Raptors GM: “What do you know about Toronto?”
Me: “Ummmmmm, it’s in Canada….”
(Blank stares)
Me: “Ummmmmm, they have high taxes?”
Moral of the story: Know a few details about the job you’re interviewing for. (Duh.) And to all the Canadian readers out there, I’ve got love! Now that I’ve visited more times, I know all kinds of facts about your city. All kinds. I swear.
3) Things might get weird. One GM just looked at his phone for the whole interview. Never really looked my way. “O.K., Cody, we’re going to act like you aren’t here,” one of them said. “You can’t talk or make any comments. We are going to talk amongst ourselves about you.” So I sat in the room as they talked about my strengths and weaknesses and concerns about my game. Now in retrospect, I know they were trying to rattle me, but at the time it was really weird. During my workout with the same team a few weeks before, I learned that they had just brought in all the guys that I had struggled against in college. Even if they weren’t considering drafting the other guys, I think they wanted to make sure it was tough as possible on me. Moral of the story: job interviews will test your patience and poise, but you’ve just gotta stick it out. It’s not personal.
4) Don’t worry if they don’t know your name. One GM, when I walked into the room, shook my hand and welcomed me as one of my brothers. “Hey Tyler! Thanks for coming!” Another person in the room stuck out his hand and said, “Luke … it’s a pleasure to meet you.” They kept it up for the interview. Moral of the story: to some people, your name will always be “the youngest Zeller.”
5) Things might get even weirder. The executives from one team just sweared at me and berated me for 30 minutes straight. I kid you not. My coach in college didn’t cuss much so they wanted to see if I could handle a little heat. This was probably my craziest interview. They acted like I had never heard a cuss word before. “How the F does a first round pick only get eight rebounds per game?!” … “There’s no F’ing chance we would draft you” … “You’ll never be as tough as Trevor Mbakwe.” (This was a reference to a game teams brought up a lot because he was strong and a similar size to an NBA big guy. I had 25 and 11 the first time that we played in college, but we got upset in the second matchup and I only had nine points or something.)
6) You may get homework. One team, I won’t say who, did the most research out of any team. I was telling them about my academics and said, “I had a 3.4 GPA in college,” but they stopped me mid sentence and said, “3.44.” I probably shouldn’t have been surprised that they proceeded to give me homework. They had a big dry erase board in the room and said, “Take that marker and write on the board everything that you are going to bring to our team. If we draft you then we will hold you to each one.”
7) Be proficient in Microsoft Excel. When I worked out in Portland, they changed my workout time four times that day. I was just sitting in my hotel room all day waiting to workout. When I showed up to the facility it looked like the president was there. Three black SUVs outside, guards standing around, the whole thing. Then I found out that Paul Allen, the CEO of Microsoft, had flown in from Seattle on his helicopter to watch the workout. After I found that out, I forgave the Blazers for the delay. At the end of the workout I talked with him and we ended up discussing Microsoft Excel and Access. I had taken two classes in college and enjoyed them both (thank you Kelley School of Business!). Later that night, after Allen had left, the Blazers guys said, “We can confidently report that you are the first draftee that has ever talked Microsoft Excel with Paul Allen.” I couldn’t tell whether that helped my draft status or not.
8) How’s your math?
“What’s two and two?”
That’s what one team’s executive said to me, really fast. Um, I stalled. There had to be a trick. I knew they liked to throw guys puzzles and riddles to see how we handle logic.
“Four,” I said.
“Correct, what else is two and two?” They said.
Umm. More stalling.
“A .500 record … two wins and two losses?” I said.
“Good. We just wanted to see that you could come up with more than one.”
“Sweet, now you can draft me?”
Stu-Pod-I-Ty
Stu-Pod-I-Ty
Big Z
Stugotz and Stanczyk compile a top 5 of athletes whose last names start with a Z before talking to Cody Zeller about trying to learn how to play the guitar, the time he accidentally big timed Michael Jordan, and who would be on the all-time Hornets team.
CloseUp360
CloseUp360
Hornets' Cody Zeller channels Kemba Walker to chart his own charitable path
Mike Mazzeo | Nov 27, 2019
NEW YORK CITY — The cashier behind the register at the NBA Store on 5th Avenue looks a bit unusual. Mostly, because he’s seven feet tall. Also, because he plays in the league.
Yet Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller is making it look easy—of course, he is—scanning the items one by one.
There’s a No. 40 jersey with his name on the back. An autographed hat featuring his signature. Even a pair of Jordans.
And the best part of all: Cody is bringing joy to someone’s life.
That someone happens to be 16-year-old Matthew Hann. Matthew—who resides in Egg Harbor, New Jersey, with his mother, Andrea, and stepfather, Timothy—lost his older brother, Christopher Castaneda, four years ago. Christopher, a private in the United States Army, died while on deployment in Iraq.
As part of the Hornets’ Military Care Event in partnership with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Matthew and his family get to hang out with Cody. For a couple of hours, Matthew and Cody play Pop-A-Shot, chat and do some shopping.
For Cody, Matthew’s reaction means everything.
“Soldiers that fight to defend our freedoms are obviously heroes,” Cody tells CloseUp360. “But sometimes their families are forgotten, and TAPS helps kids and families of fallen soldiers. So it’s pretty cool to give back to a family like the one we just met.
“In situations like this, they say the three-year mark is the toughest. I’m sure every day is tough for them, and I’m sure some days are worse than others and they’re still struggling. So for a group like TAPS to be there for them and provide support is huge. Matthew was speechless. The biggest thing was just to put a smile on his face.”
The Hann family picked up some fun items and had a blast with @CodyZeller! @TAPSorg X @nbacares #HoopsForTroops pic.twitter.com/7CU9jGjSEz
— NBA (@NBA) November 19, 2019
Cody was encouraged to give back from a young age. His high school coach, Gene Miiller, used to tell his Washington (Indiana) team, “To Whom Much is Given, Much Will Be Required,” from Bible verse Luke 12:48.
“I think I have been given a lot with my athletic ability and the platform that comes with playing in the NBA,” Cody says. “So I want to use my resources to give back.”
Cody, a six-year veteran, decided to launch his Like A Child Foundation this summer with a community program called “Kicks for Kids.” Through this initiative, he will wear a custom pair of sneakers designed by kids from five different charity organizations during five games this season, and make donations to each of those charities.
“I feel like everyone always does a golf outing or a gala,” he says. “And those are all good, but I was looking for something a bit more creative.”
Cody drew inspiration from “My Cause My Cleats,” a program through which NFL players wear decorative footwear to support special causes.
“The NBA has never done anything like that,” he continues, “so I just kind of made it my own.”
Cody honored former Hornets teammate and close friend Kemba Walker, and the work the three-time All-Star did with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas by having Kemba’s four mentees in Charlotte design a pair of sneakers. Cody will also drop custom kicks with Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital in Charlotte (December), TAPS (January), Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis (February) and the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Fulton, Missouri (April).
As a rookie, Cody was tasked with wearing a Halloween costume to a local children’s hospital. Going in, he figured it would be a somber experience.
“I kind of pictured it being sad and depressing,” he says. “But each time I’ve gone, it’s been very much the opposite. The kids are smiling and laughing and having a good time, and it puts things into perspective for me. If I have a bad game on the court or twist an ankle or whatever it is, in the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t a big deal.”
Since then, Cody has resolved to keep impacting kids in a positive way. His foundation will allow him to do just that.
“Being around them brings such a fresh perspective,” he says. “Kids have such a simple perspective on life. They don’t have any idea about social issues or climbing the corporate ladder or providing for a family—all the stuff we stress about as adults. Kids just want to have fun, play and take naps. So I think, as adults, it’s all about giving back to them.”
Cody plans to have all the kids at the Children’s Hospital in Charlotte sign his shoes for the next custom kicks game.
“A lot of kids ask me to sign their shoes and ask for an autograph,” he says. “So I admire the kids at the Children’s Hospital for their bravery, given what they’re going through. So I’m going to go there and have the kids sign my shoes. Hopefully we can fill it up with a lot of signatures.”
Cody wasn’t necessarily a sneakerhead growing up, but that all changed once the Hornets took him No. 4 overall in the 2013 NBA draft. In Charlotte, he signed an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand while playing for team owner Michael Jordan. As a result, an obsession was born. Even after donating 200 pairs of sneakers this summer, Cody estimates that he owns close to 1,000 pairs himself.
“I have an extra bedroom in my house filled with them,” he says with a laugh.
Cody was just glad he could honor Kemba, who became a foundational piece with the Hornets before signing with the Boston Celtics in free agency this past July.
“I feel very honored to just see how hard he worked behind closed doors,” Cody says. “Because people don’t see the work he put in behind closed doors, and I saw it for six years. When I came into the NBA, he couldn’t shoot. He was a decent playmaker and he’s always been athletic. But to see his progression over the past six years is incredible, and most of that was done behind closed doors.”
Cody first saw Kemba during a practice prior to the 2008 McDonald’s All-American Game, in which Cody’s older brother, Tyler, was a participant.
“All the NBA GMs and scouts were there, so I was just sitting there with my parents watching the games,” Cody says. “And Kemba was picking up full court. I had never heard of him before, but I was, like, ‘Man, this dude is a tough, hard-nosed player. He’s picking up full court in an All-Star [scrimmage]. Even then, he couldn’t shoot, and he’ll tell you that. But he has that New York toughness, and my dad and I looked at each other, like, ‘I don’t know who that guy is,’ and it’s cool that it came full circle.
Kemba returned to Charlotte on November 7 and was greeted by a warm reception from the fans in attendance. The Celtics beat the Hornets that night at the Spectrum Center, 108-87, while Cody wore the shoes that Kemba’s mentees had decorated.
“He did a lot for Charlotte, and that’s kind of why I wanted to wear the shoes—because of what he did for the community, not just what he did on the court,” Cody says. “He’s not one to take the spotlight, especially in the community with all the work he did. I don’t think people realized how much he did.
“Even for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, I mean, those are four kids that he was mentoring—not just seeing them once a year. He’d take them to dinner once a month, and was actually mentoring them and being a constant in their lives. And that’s what I was hoping to do with the shoes.”
Over the summer, Cody actually opened a lemonade stand to try and raise money to keep Kemba from leaving—a funny joke that quickly went viral.
“It took me 10 minutes to set up, and then it blew up,” he says. “The message I wanted to send was that I wanted him back, but I kind of wanted to put a creative twist on it. I never would’ve thought it would’ve blown up the way it did.”
View this post on Instagram
Only one month until free agency starts in the NBA! Fundraising has already begun though!
The stunt wasn’t enough to keep Kemba in Charlotte, but that creativity should help Cody as he looks to expand his foundation and partner with even more children’s charities. In the past, he’s led an annual Sock Drive in partnership with Hanes to benefit the homeless in Charlotte, and helped his oldest brother, Luke, start a Christian youth basketball program called DistinXion back in their home state of Indiana.
Cody’s own foundation work has only just begun. And there are many more smiles to come.
Nice Kicks
Nice Kicks
The 10 Best Kicks On Court This Week
Luis Torres | Nov 9, 2019
This week was filled with surprises and a whole lot of color.
Uncle Drew debuted his newest silhouette in the BK. A custom Jordan was brought together by the Charlotte community. Some classic LeBron models made the cut. Hell, PJ Tucker rocked a Nike KD 4 that Kevin Durant doesn’t even have. Yeah, you read that right.
Take a look at the 10 best sneakers from the week below. Did we miss any? Which one was your favorite? Tune in every week as the NBA season progresses.
10. Custom Jordan Super.Fly MVP
+ Cody Zeller will be wearing shoes designed by the children from the charities/organizations the Jordan Brand athlete has ties with. Be on the lookout for more throughout the season
+ The design honored Kemba Walker and his return to Charlotte via the hands and artistic skills of four Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Carolina members whom Walker worked with during his time in Buzz City. Respect to everyone involved on these…