Basketball: Knicks forward Obi Toppin returns to Ossining for jersey retirement
OSSINING - There was a time when Obi Toppin was hanging on the rims in this gym. Now the reigning NBA Slam Dunk champion has a place of honor on the wall.
The 24-year-old Knicks reserve was briefly in the old neighborhood Friday to see his jersey retired.
Before he was the national collegiate player of the year or the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Toppin was a somewhat reserved student at Ossining High School finding his way on and off the court. The roots of a meteoric rise are here. Toppin was back in the gym with family and friends before the Pride took on Saunders for the ceremony.
"It's an honor to finally have something for our side," Toppin joked, noting the mementos commemorating the girls' five state championships on the opposite wall.
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Toppin played two seasons at Ossining, winning a league title and earning all-section honors after delivering 20.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 2015-16. His growth spurt continued in prep school before he landed at Dayton.
"I appreciate everybody coming," said Toppin, who also brought Jordans for the entire Ossining team. "It's great to feel the love."
Pride coach Mike Casey recounted the comments Toppin shared in the emotional moments that followed a devastating playoff loss in 2016.
"Obi told everyone in that locker room he loved them, he cared for them and that the brotherhood we built that season would never be broken," Casey said. "As evidence of that, all of his teammates are here today."
The current players gave Toppin a framed Pride road jersey emblazoned with his familiar No. 1.
Jillian McRae, a popular teacher at the school, spoke to a wall-to-wall crowd about his maturation off the court while acknowledging the importance of checking in from time to time.
"Thank you for always coming back, for remembering," McRae said on behalf of the community.
After the ceremony, Toppin spent a few minutes with the wide-eyed Saunders players, then caught up with his teammates and visited with Ossining teachers and staff. Countless selfies were taken before he was ushered out the door to enjoy the rest of a night off.
"It's a big thing for us," Pride guard Jaiden Newton said. "His story gives us hope and shows anything is possible. All it takes is time, work and effort. I feel like Obi has set an example for a lot of people. He's inspired me and a lot of my teammates just to be better, to work every day."
Mike Dougherty covers basketball for The Journal News and lohud.com. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com or via Twitter @lohudhoopsmbd.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Ossining HS retires NY Knicks forward Obi Toppin's jersey
