Terance Mann hosts basketball clinic in Inglewood
Los Angeles Clippers star Terance Mann and the Terance Mann Complete Player Foundation held a basketball clinic for young athletes at Morningside High School in Inglewood.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -Los Angeles Clippers star and fan-favorite Terance Mann and the Terance Mann Complete Player Foundation held a basketball clinic for an estimated 100 young athletes at Morningside High School in Inglewood on Saturday.
Terance Mann's Complete Player Foundation held a basketball clinic for young athletes in Inglewood at Morning High School on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (Kelli Johnson KTTV)
The clinic highlighted Mann’s commitment to the community. The event went on as scheduled, even after he underwent surgery for his fractured finger.
"We always preach ‘next play’ in basketball. I tell him ‘winners just respond," Mann’s mother, Daynia La-Force said. "He knows this is just something he’s got to get through and get over, but he’s going to be so ready to get back on the court, and I’m just proud of him."
La-Force is a former player and coach at the collegiate level and in 2021, she was an assistant coach for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.
Her coach mentality is strong, not just for her family, but for the children they serve through the foundation.
"Resiliency, hard work, commitment, dedication [are] all these things that I really think they need to take away from the game of basketball and I just really hope they understand what it’s really about," she said.
"It’s not about shooting, passing, and rebounding. It’s about teamwork, high character and supporting each other on the court," she added.
The foundation is a family affair as Mann’s father, brother, grandmother, and childhood friends are also part of the organization.
On Media Day, Mann, a Florida State alumnus, shared he started thinking about where he’d like to play overseas during his season years as he was uncertain if he’d get a chance to play in the NBA. In July 2019, he was selected by the Clippers as the 48th overall pick and fast forward to 2021, his career night in the Western Conference semifinals helped send the Clippers to their first Western Conference Finals in team history.
"Follow your own path," Mann said as he spoke to the group of excited athletes.
"I feel like nowadays a lot of kids are scrolling on social media… and they’re worrying about what other people got instead of what they got right in front of them, so it’s slowing them down," Mann said.
While the impact is profound for the kids, Mann said it means a lot to him too, saying he enjoys "just seeing them happy to be here."
In 2023, Mann signed a deal with Skechers as the company looks to grow in sports. During Saturday’s clinic, each athlete was given a fresh new pair of Skechers basketball sneakers.
"I got sent videos of when they got the shoes and one kid said, ‘this is my first pair of new shoes I’ve had in a long time’ and he was almost in tears. So, it was dope to be able to see that," Mann explained.
During the event, Skechers presented a $10,000 check to the Inglewood Unified School District.
"It’s big time to have a shoe company in your corner. A lot of guys just sign with shoe companies and they just wear their shoe… so it’s dope to really have a big-time company that’s in my corner ready to support anything I’d like to do philanthropy wise, so it’s a great partnership," Mann said.
The league has taken notice of Mann’s efforts and in February, he was the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner.
Since creating the foundation, the foundation has held a handful of basketball clinics and given away an estimated $150,000 worth of scholarships.
"We want to continue to grow our funding so we can continue to impact more lives and just provide opportunities. I think what we’re doing is educating the community on academic opportunities and athletic opportunities to help their kids grow and become their best selves," La-Force said.