Former UK player Kevin Knox giving back in a big way to his former high school

Kevin Knox is giving $2 million to his former high school in Tampa to build a new basketball facility.

Kevin Knox saw a lot of giving back during his childhood.

His father, Kevin Knox Sr., was a former NFL player but he also worked with the Tampa (Fla.) Housing Authority and Urban Development to help those in need. He was youth and sports director for 11 years for the housing authority.

His mother, Michelle, was a social worker in the local school system for 20 years.

The former University of Kentucky basketball player obviously paid attention to his upbringing because he recently donated $2 million to help fund a basketball facility at Tampa Catholic, his former Florida high school, that will be named the Kevin Knox II Field House.

Knox, a top 10 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, played at Tampa Catholic from 2014-17 before spending a year at Kentucky playing for coach John Calipari. He started his NBA career with the New York Knicks and is now with the Atlanta Hawks.

Kevin Knox Sr. is proud of his son’s contribution to help others.

“He was able to see a different side of people growing up that a lot of people do not see. I wanted my kids to come back to those environments and help,” Knox Sr. said. “We wanted to give back to our high school where it all began for him. They did a lot of good things for us and it is a special place to all of us.”

Kevin Knox Sr. said the amount of the donation did not mean as much as “what fulfilling your heart” by helping someone else does.

“When you talk about your legacy and what you can do, this is basically what Kevin wanted to do,” Knox Sr. said. “You can put this in perspective too by the amount of money you make. This is also a tax write-off. You are going to have to give back to Uncle Sam (the federal government), so why not give back to others and have a say in how the money is used.”

“I always have hoped my kids would see their dad and mom giving back and helping kids get scholarships and that it would breed something into their mindsets about helping others.  We have always hoped all our kids in some shape or form would want to give back like this.”