No matter what Vinny Del Negro says about the Rookie of the Year race, O.J. Mayo’s candidacy is alive and well. At 19.1 points per game, O.J.’s undoubtedly lived up to the hype, and furthermore, he’s answered a lot of the questions about the viability of a 6-4 combo guard having a lasting impact on the League.
But things aren’t about to get any easier for the USC-product. He and Derrick Rose have both logged more than 1500 minutes already, close to 300 more than Eric Gordon or Russell Westbrook and about 600 more than Michael Beasley.
For rookies who are being watched closely by friends, family and the organization, that would normally mean that they’re spending virtually all of their time away from the court getting much-needed rest. O.J. won’t even have a true All-Star break, as he’s a shoe-in for the rookie-sophomore game. But that’s not stopping him from spending his time serving the community.
When the Grizzlies travel to New York to take on the Knicks this Friday, O.J.’s taking his Thursday night to host a charity event at the House of Hoops by Foot Locker in Harlem (125th btw Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. and Frederick Douglass Blvd.). He’ll be providing transportation for the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club to HOH, where he’s going to autograph jerseys for the kids. If you’re in New York from 6PM-8PM, check it out.
Long before O.J. proved that he’d be a reliable scorer in the League, there might have been questions as to what kind of person he’d grow up to be. We got to know him a little bit better around draft time, and saw a mature dude ready for the responsibility coming his way. Now he’s coming to the biggest city in the world for a short visit and he’s giving up his time to hang with kids from a Boys & Girls club instead of tearing up New York. That’s pretty cool.
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