Reggie Evans Charity Softball Game Hosted by Blue Wahoos
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Few NBA players chase down every rebound with the same ferocity that Reggie Evans does.
Raised by a single-mom who raised four children, each with a different father, in the Pensacola Village Apartments, Evans knows what tough is like.
That's why his foundation plans to hold the second annual Reggie Evans Pro Athlete Charity Softball Game at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium with celebrity stars, such as Sacramento Kings teammate DeMarcus Cousins, and WNBA and Tennessee great Michelle Snow. A two-hour meet and greet with the athletes is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. before the game.
The Reggie Evans Foundation raises money for struggling, impoverished communities with the goal of helping promote more productive futures.
Fighting for rebounds against Evans is considered by many of his opponents to be one of the toughest and worst jobs in the NBA. And when it comes to helping those raised in poor, crime-ridden neighborhoods get a leg up, the 13-year professional basketball veteran fights just as hard. However, you will find the 35-year-old flashing his smile under his bushy black beard a whole lot more. His nickname has always been Joker.
"We were raised up poor in a rough environment," Evans said during a recent interview at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos ballpark. "A lot of what I do is based on how I was raised up. I'm just trying to do whatever it takes to give back to the community. I hope to change kids' lives."
Why softball? That's what the residents of Pensacola Village Apartments played.
"Pensacola Village always had a softball team when I was growing up," Evans said. "They were like the Atlanta Braves to us."
Best of all at Evans' charity softball game, young children living in poverty and others who attend the fundraiser have the chance to watch and talk to the superstars whose careers they can follow on television.
As a kid, Evans got to do the same thing when Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith held his charity golf tournament here. He met players like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas.
"It felt so good to see those guys," Evans recalled. "I had the typical hood-style upbringing. You have to grow up fast. Basketball was always key for me growing up."
Not only does the charity softball game serve a good cause, the players get to talk about the importance of staying out of trouble and getting an education.
"The kids get to see a person and ask questions about how much they needed to work on going to high school and on going to class every day," Evans said. "They can see, if Reggie Evans can make it, I can make it."
Evans will tell you, it wasn't easy to become an NBA-level player, especially with the disadvantages he had growing up. He didn't finish high school on time to graduate with his Washington High School class. He ended up playing two years for Coffeyville Community College in Kansas and then played for the Iowa Hawkeyes where he led the nation in double-doubles. Evans also led the Big Ten in rebounds both years.
Despite his impressive college statistics, the 6-foot-8, 245-pound Evans was passed up in the NBA draft. He ended up signing as a free-agent with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2002.
Determined to prove draft experts wrong, Evans is now entering his 13th year in the NBA with a career average of 4.1 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. He has more than 20 rebounds at least four times, including a career-high 26 for the Brooklyn Nets in March 2012. Twice in his career, he's averaged more than 11 rebounds a game, including 11.5 for the Toronto Raptors in the 2010-2011 season.
When his rebounds per minutes played are calculated, Evans regularly is among the league's top rebounders ever year.
"If you are mentally strong, you can play in the NBA," Evans said. "I did not ever doubt myself. Not getting drafted hurt my feelings but at the same time it made me work harder."
He also advises youth to play sports or pursue careers that they love. It's what drives Evans to eat right and workout to remain at the peak of his game. It's why he remains a devoted husband to his wife, Joi, and a loving father to his three daughters and son.
"You can never get caught up playing the game for money," Evans said. "You have to love what you're doing. I still love the game."
When he's not helping organize the charity softball game, you'll find Evans passing out hundreds of turkeys to Pensacola's poor, doing his annual Pensacola Village Apartments barbecue party and making numerous charity appearances for his NBA team.
The charity softball game has the added benefit, Evans said, of introducing many of his professional basketball friends to Pensacola for the first time.
"It just feels great to have guys ask questions about the city I was raised up in," Evans said. "This stadium here is so top notch. I love this stadium. I think it fits Pensacola. It represents Pensacola."
Tickets are available for the charity game through the Blue Wahoo's website https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?SponsorID=5610#.VVIwvpMcqXD or by calling 850-934-8444. Visit the website at www.bluewahoos.com for more information.