Open Thread: Keita Bates-Diop on the importance of knowing CPR

Feb 4, 2023 - 12:00 PM

The San Antonio Spurs are no strangers to worthy causes, and Thursday they provided another beacon in their community service.

At Central Catholic High School, the students were treated to an opportunity to engage with Methodist Healthcare System and the American Heart Association to learn the life-saving techniques for CPR.

Understanding how to administer CPR as well as hot to use an AED during a cardiac emergency is a life-saving skill that can bet used in an emergency to help a victim of a heart attack.

Methodist Healthcare partners with the San Antonio Spurs and on this occasion, they partnered with the perfect member of the Silver & Black.

Jordan Howenstine, Manager of Basketball Communications, introduced Keita stating that although the former Ohio State Buckeye tends to be one of the quieter members of the Spurs, he had something important to share.

Keita Bates-Diop and his family have a personal appreciation for CPR and the AED machine. Keita’s brother, Kai, was the beneficiary of these.

A picture of health, his younger brother collapsed during basketball practice. Keita’s family had a history of heart health concerns. He was administered CPR by one of his coaches while another obtained the AED.

Timing was of the essence as every minute the heart is not beating can lead to dire consequences. The younger Bates-Diop was airlifted and taken to a hospital where he made his recovery.

“It has definitely given me a greater appreciation for not just basketball, but everything in life in general,” Keita said. “Everybody talks to you about, ‘You’re blessed to play this game,’ but until something happens close to you where it could be taken away from you, you don’t fully appreciate or understand it.”

Bates-Diop shared his story with the attendees stating, “it is better to have it and never need that to need it and not have it.”

The students were then broken into groups and given training.

Keita’s mother, Wilma, also shared that every year Keita holds a basketball camp and the proceeds from the camp support the purchasing of AED machines. They had bought thirteen machines and distributed them throughout the community.

To learn more about how to administer CPR and the American Heart Association, click on the hyperlink.

---

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, do not troll and watch the language.