Guess what, folks? It’s making a comeback. Three-time NBA champ JaVale McGee is coming back with his 3-year-old project. We know for a fact that basketball has changed countless athletes’ lives. It turns their dreams into reality both literally and figuratively. Once they reach that top, most of them settle into a life of well-deserved luxury, and who could blame them? But every now and then, you’ll find someone still hustling to make the world a little better than it was yesterday.

That’s exactly where legends like Shaq, LeBron, Steph Curry, and JaVale McGee stand. The latter is one of those rare gems who believe success means more when you share it. And now, he’s stepping up once again to prove it.

After spending 16 seasons in the NBA, Steph Curry’s ex-teammate and friend, JaVale McGee, is now fighting for the Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico’s National Superior Basketball League. And recently, which isn’t something you hear often with McGee, he found himself in the middle of a fight. It happened during a heated matchup against Capitanes de Arecibo. What started as typical on-court duel quickly got out of hand when McGee lost his cool. He grabbed Jonathan Rodriguez by the neck and shoved him right in front of a stunned crowd. As penalty, both players were tossed from the game.

But despite that ugly moment and all the headlines that followed, McGee hasn’t forgotten his roots. He’s still holding strong to the promises he made to Flint, Michigan, and the community that raised him. A few hours back, the JaVale Mcgee Flint City Pro-Am’s IG account shared the following:

“Year 3 loading…⏳ We are OFFICIALLY less than a month away from the start of year 3 of the #jmcgeeflintcityproam. Join us for another great season! More info coming soon‼️”

For those who don’t understand this post, JaVale McGee was born and raised right in Flint, Michigan. And no matter where his career took him, he never forgot where he came from. The streets and the community that helped him weather life’s storms. In 2023, he launched the JaVale McGee Flint City Pro-Am. It’s his way of giving back by creating a platform where Flint’s young talent can grow, compete, and shine. As JaVale put it himself, “There’s basketball talent in Flint that needs to be poured on and needs to be able to grow.”  

Just like Steph Curry, his ex-teammate JaVale McGee also has a legacy

Steph Curry and his wife, Ayesha, launched Eat. Learn. Play. back in 2019, and the numbers related to the program are staggering. According to reports, they’ve raised and invested over $70 million, served more than 25 million meals, poured $6.4 million into literacy programs, and refurbished 18 school playgrounds in Oakland. Curry knows the value of giving back. But here’s the thing: McGee does too.

JaVale’s been leading his own movement through JUGLIFE, a foundation he started in 2013 to help fight water-related crises around the world. And in 2023, he brought that same heart to his hometown, launching the JaVale McGee Flint City Pro-Am. His mission? To give local athletes a platform to shine and bring the Flint community together through the game they love.

JaVale isn’t thinking small either. As he put it, “This is something that I hope lasts my grandchildren are running it type energy. So that’s the plan and that’s the vision that I have for it.” Juglife’s efforts have led to the construction of water wells in Uganda and the initiation of a sports complex to further community development. Their educational outreach has impacted numerous schools, promoting hydration and healthy lifestyles among youth.

So while Curry is out there making massive moves in Oakland. JaVale’s putting in work his own way, showing that no matter the scale, giving back always matters.