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Making A Mark in Minnesota

How Timberwolves Player Taurean Prince is Sharing More than Just Basketball

Taurean Prince fell in love with basketball at a very young age.

“I love the art of it…being able to compete and let loose a little bit, and really just play ball. It was one thing that allowed me to escape when I was younger from life situations…you have your hobbies and your getaways, and that was mine.”

Taking life day by day since he was young, he continually focused on family, being a brother, and playing basketball. He began playing competitively at age 8, and never looked back. Today, a lot has remained the same, and his family, his children, and playing basketball still continue to ground and motivate him.

Basketball has truly shaped his life, teaching him to be nimble and strong, both mentally and physically.  He feels blessed to be able to play in the NBA and comments that, “Playing competitively is like you’re running a race. You never know when it’s going to end, or when it will end, or if it will even start for you. It’s a constant grind. You have to stay in your own mind and be conscious of the work you consistently have to put in to get to this level, and stay at this level.”

Tuarean wants to pass his life lessons along, and believes sports is an outlet that teaches young people leadership, socialization, and how to connect with different people from different cities, different countries, and different worlds. He says that, “Not everyone fights the same battles, so to be able to get that experience and be able to reveal the respect you should have for everyone” is truly important.

“You never know who your teammate will be. It forces you to get outside of the box. Life is a competition in itself…I think that’s the beauty of the work ethic behind it, and the results you can get if you put in the work.”

Taurean pays what he has learned forward through multiple organizations. He recently partnered with Mayor Jacob Frey and the Boys & Girls Club for a Read Across America book drive in order to get kids their much-needed books for school. He also has his own non-profit and nationwide organization, Kids Hoops, which was founded in 2016. He runs this organization with his father and says, “We not only tutor kids outside of school, but we give them outlets to be able to play on local basketball teams. Whatever team they choose, we fund it. We also connect with the parents to ensure they have the same type of environment at home. A lot of kids are missing that. They go to school and get what they need, but when they come home it fades.” The program’s focus is to get the parents on track and in tune with what is going on.  Taurean comments, “This approach will change the perspective of parenting and the kids seeing how involved their parent is.”

In the future, Taurean sees himself getting involved in many different non-profit channels, one for example, being breast cancer awareness. He consistently donates to the Salvation Army as well as gives through what he refers to as random acts of kindness, which are completely unpredictable surprises for those not expecting anything.

When Taurean talks about life in Minnesota, he softens, “I like how quiet it is and how nice people are. Minneapolis as a city has been through a lot in the past few years and it’s a strong city, very vibrant, and people definitely come out for their sports teams. It’s good to support and be a part of a city that loves to do that.” This year he enjoyed making the playoffs, and the amazing crowds throughout the season, and he looks forward to more with the Timberwolves.

When asked if he could go back in time and tell his younger self something he says, “To be patient.”

To the younger generations, he would like to pass along that “you should always stay focused. Never let negative situations turn you to make negative decisions. Always turn a negative into a positive, stay true to yourself, and always be good to the people who love you.”

But in reality, that is just good advice for everyone.

For more information on Kids Hoops, visit kidshoops.com 

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