After helping the Cavaliers achieve the second-best start to an NBA regular season ever with a 15-0 record, Jarrett Allen helped the Cleveland community begin the holiday season with a terrific start.
Allen hosted his eighth annual Meals + Math Thanksgiving event and provided 25 children from Urban Community School and their families with groceries while teaching kids about math and budgeting.
Following the event, Allen spoke with HoopsHype about Cleveland’s historic start to the season, what Donovan Mitchell’s extension meant for the city and the team’s future, how Kenny Atkinson has changed, reuniting with several former Nets teammates and coaches in Cleveland, his goals, and more on his Thanksgiving event.
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Jarrett Allen: It’s easier when you know somebody. It’s easier to know how to coach them and how to approach them. I think that’s partly why we got part of a head start. They’re an approachable group. We put all our trust in them. Having prior knowledge of anybody, like how the team stuck together over the summer, I think it pushes everybody forward.
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JA: In many ways. How he approaches the game and how he approaches players has changed. I think him stepping back and being in the assistant coach role (with Golden State), he was able to digest and learn about past experiences and learn under Steve Kerr. I think he’s brought all of that to Cleveland.
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JA: In my opinion, yeah. You don’t come in with a new team and go 15-0 that easily. He definitely has to be leading that ladder right now.
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JA: It wasn’t too bad. We knew Donovan was committed to us, whether it was whatever he was debating. We knew he was going to give it his all to play that year. As teammates, we got the heads up that he was going to stay earlier than everyone else in the media did. It gave us reassurance that this squad would stay together.
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JA: Donovan is a star. He’s a Top 10 player in the league, some would say, and I would say. Cleveland needs someone like that. Cleveland needs someone to hold onto like that and root for. It got the city excited again knowing that we had one of the best players in the NBA to stick with us. For the Cavs, you can see how it’s helping us now. He’s able to take over games and lead the team to victory.
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JA: I knew we were going to be good, but I didn’t know to what extent. Going 15-0 for anybody is surprising. Nobody can tell me differently nor expect to not lose a game in that stretch of time in the NBA. It’s special. I think we can do better, too.
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JA: I think we want to make it to the Conference Finals. I think that’s the expectation for everybody around the league. Put the floor there. I think we’re a good enough team that if we play consistent enough, our bench is deep enough, and we have our starting lineup that’s pretty good. With all of this coming together and Kenny as the head coach, I think we can take this thing far.
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JA: It was good. I knew I wanted to be in Cleveland. I actually truly like living in this city. I’m happy that the general manager and the whole team trusted me to pay me and keep me around.
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JA: One of my goals is always to become a better passer, especially as a big man. I think that’s an underrated aspect of a big man’s game other than Nikola Jokic, who’s the best at it. I want to be able to improve there. It doesn’t have to be at that absurdly great level but just improve incrementally. I’ve never been lucky with awards in this league, so my job is just to try to do the best for the team and make an impact that way.
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JA: I know that’s not my game, and that probably will never be my game to be like KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns), Myles Turner, and players like that. My job is to perfect being a rim-rolling big man and setting screens while excelling in my role. It’s something I take pride in. I’m not going to shoot five threes a game – well, you never know – Brook Lopez did, and he changed (laughs). Statistically, it might not happen. I want to find every detail that I can be good at in my role.
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JA: The goal has been the same every year. I try to give kids and families an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving and give back to the community and the city I live in. It’s fun for me at this point. I look forward to it every year. I have fun with the kids seeing them laugh, smile, and get excited about shopping for groceries and all things.
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JA: Growing up – from my grandma to my mom – we’ve always been at food drives, making crates for the less fortunate and giving back to the community, whether it’s those crates or community service. All around, it’s been instilled in my family to give something back if you have it.
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JA: Keep smiling. That’s something that always helps me. I know their situation is different from mine, but I truly believe if you find happiness in the smallest little things, you can be happy.
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