Precious Achiuwa was drafted by the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, just one season later, he finds himself in a different city.
The young center was a part of the sign-and-trade that brought Kyle Lowry to Miami. Goran Dragic was also sent to the Raptors in the deal.
In 61 games with the Miami Heat, Achiuwa only played 12.1 minutes per game. He averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game while shooting 54.4% from the field.
Though he did not have much of an impact in Miami, he’ll get a fresh start in Toronto. He’ll compete with Khem Birch and Chris Boucher for center minutes.
Despite only spending one year in Miami, Precious Achiuwa evidently grew fond of the city. He enjoyed his time so much that he wanted to do something special before he left to join the Raptors.
Achiuwa posted on his Instagram story that he would be hosting a back-to-school event in Miami. According to the graphic, it was set to be a “backpack giveaway.”
He tagged multiple sponsors who supposedly supported the event, too. Among those tagged were DoorDash, Publix, and the Miami Heat themselves.
It is great to see such a young player get involved with a community he is technically no longer even a part of. It shows how mature Achiuwa is at such a young age.
Players around the league always appear at events like this, but taking the initiative to host one is impressive. Achiuwa should be proud of the impact he made on a lot of kids.
Hopefully, Achiuwa can have more success in Toronto than he did in Miami. He already played some games for their Summer League squad and is looking to earn regular minutes this season.
It was unfortunate that he couldn’t break into the rotation with the Miami Heat, but based on this act of kindness, the mutual respect between him and the community is strong. Best of luck moving forward, Precious!