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NBA player, Chesapeake native Mike Scott hosts back-to-school drive

Mike Scott
Posted at 6:56 PM, Aug 29, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-29 19:26:19-04

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - National Basketball Association player Mike Scott recently left the NBA bubble and is quarantining, but that's not stopping him from giving back to the community.

"When he realized that he was gonna be down in the bubble, the next thought was what are we gonna do and the back-to-school drive came about," Scott's father, Michael, said.

While he wasn't able to be present at the event, the Philadelphia 76ers forward hosted a back-to-school drive on Saturday at Deep Creek Elementary School.

Scott teamed up with Office Depot to provide Chesapeake elementary and middle school children with school supplies, laptops, tablets and even produce ahead of the upcoming school year.

"There's times where we realize some kids just don't have access to that stuff and they need it," Michael said. "If you have the opportunity to provide it then that's your best bet, do it."

"This year's very uncertain with what's gonna be going on with the virtual stay at home and there's a lot of anxiety," Office Depot general manager Kelly Hewitt said. "Anything we can do to help the kids out so that they get off to a great school year, that's what it's all about."

Scott, a Deep Creek High School product with eight years of NBA experience, is typically in town to host his annual basketball camp this time of year and the back-to-school drive became the perfect Plan "B" when camp was no longer an option.

While Scott can't be in attendance, he was able suprise one child on his 11th birthday with a FaceTime call.

"It was pretty amazing," Lathan Everett said about the encounter.

Chesapeake students score big ahead of the school year that's scheduled to start virtually on September 8.