A young New Zealander with his eye firmly on a future in the NBA has signed on with a leading American university to continue his journey and is taking inspiration and motivation from his late basketball mentor to do so.
Tafara Gapare, a six-foot-10 forward from Palmerston North with Zimbabwean roots, has committed to DePaul University – a Chicago varsity which has produced 37 NBA players to date including former rookie of the year and two-time all star Terry Cummings.
Gapare’s decision was reported by multiple US outlets and his signing was broadcasted in the US.
“It’s been quite crazy,” the 18-year-old told 1News.
“There was about 35 coaches that made contact with me, straight to my phone.”
Gapare, considered a four-star recruit by US scouts, is a product of Scots College where Steven Adams also studied but the education similarities don’t stop there when comparing him to the Kiwi NBA star.
Gapare is also a product of the late Kenny McFadden's basketball school and like many others who were influenced by him, took his sudden death earlier this year hard.
“The day I found out he'd passed away it was like I'd lost a family member,” he said.
“He wasn't just a coach. He had great words of wisdom every single day.”
That wisdom is now helping him transition to life in the US where his advisor Mo Smith, who has connections with NBA stars such as Kevin Durant, believes he will shine.
“It's not even his jumping, it's not even his passing - it's the impact he has on a game, even without scoring,” Smith said.
Smith said Kiwi talent was gaining more recognition in the US.
“We've got kids here in America, these kids are talented but a lot of them just think, ‘score, score, score’,” he said.
“I think that New Zealanders go hard and play the right way.”
A way inspired by McFadden and utilised by his students.
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