Kristi and Wendy met at this year’s NBA Summer League. Wendy was the first Raptor mom Kristi met; here we are today with a live episode at the Toronto Raptors OVO Athletic Centre. Our first live recording since January 2020.
Since birth Malachi has always been front and centre in a basketball court, sitting on his mom’s lap as a child; whether his dad was coaching a game or his siblings were lacing them up.
They discuss the college recruiting process that led Malachi to Washington State and how much that meant for him and his family. Why he ultimately transferred to San Diego State and how the NBA became a realistic goal for Malachi.
We take a stroll down memory lane, sharing what the draft process was like during a pandemic and her thoughts on being drafted by an NBA team in an entirely new country. Kristi relives the special moment they got the call that he was drafted and then watched it live on TV. All the hard work and time had paid off.
Malachi’s first season with the team down in Tampa and the transition to Toronto for the Raptors return home. Kristi is a proud mom and still can’t get used to seeing her son play in the NBA – it is just an incredible feeling.