One man’s “pretty serious sneaker problem” is another kid’s gift for the holidays.
Longtime Arizona basketball fan and program booster Paul Dias, whose Dias Management Inc. owns 22 McDonald’s restaurants in Tucson, gave away 200 pairs of Nike sneakers to kids ages 7-13 years old on Saturday at the McDonald’s on River Road and La Cholla Blvd.
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa signs a shoe for a Tucson youth at “McKicks 4 Kids” on Saturday.
“I’ve got a pretty serious sneaker problem, and my wife likes to jab me about it pretty frequently,” Dias said on ESPN Tucson this week. “It was actually her idea. She always said, ‘You know, we’re always looking at a way to give back to the community, and you love sports and you love kids, love to help out,’ … My youngest daughter told me a while back, ‘Dad, you know why I love sneakers? It doesn’t matter how fat you get, how many pimples you got or what your hair looks like, when you put on a new pair of sneakers, it always lifts you up and makes you feel good.’
“I looked at her, like, ‘You know what? You’re 1,000% right.’”
In partnership with SPL Sports, a nonprofit organization founded by ex-Wildcat Corey Williams, which organizes local sports camps and clinics and donates equipment to youth athletes in need, Dias’ sneaker giveaway — called “McKicks 4 Kids” — also came with a McDonald’s meal for the children who received a pair of shoes. Several members of the UA basketball team were there to meet with kids, including Oumar Ballo, Kerr Kriisa, Pelle Larsson, Azuolas Tubelis, Adama Bal, Henri Veesaar, Courtney Ramey, Cedric Henderson and Kylan Boswell, among others.
“Our whole family has gotten into sneakers. I started buying sneakers on Nike.com about a year ago. I bought about 10 or 15 pairs a month, then I started collecting them,” Dias said. “We have various kids sizes and we want to put them on the feet of young kids that are in need, and we want to uplift their spirits and give them a little something extra.”
Dias said Saturday was “an opportunity to take a step back, appreciate the opportunity we have and put some new sneakers on kids' feet.”
“It’s a feel-good moment for my employees, my family, and we’ve been blessed in so many ways. … It’s a way to give back,” said Dias. “I love youth athletics, I love sneakers, I love our community, and we’ve always told our employees about giving back to our community and being involved in our community.”
Numbers game
35-57: Mark Fox’s all-time record at Cal. Fox is 15-45 in Pac-12 games over three-plus seasons.
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) gets tangled with Cal forward Sam Alajiki (24) trying to get to the bucket in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
5: Sunday marked the fifth game Arizona had a “white-out” crowd for a game, albeit the plethora of red shirts sprinkled in the crowd made the crowd at McKale Center akin to a peppermint milkshake. Arizona first attempted the “white-out” in 2011, when the Wildcats beat the Washington Huskies on a game-winning block by Derrick Williams.
2: Tubelis' 25 points and 12 rebounds marked his second double-double of the season. Tubelis has nine double-doubles in his career at Arizona.
43: Former UA guard Gabe York scored 43 points for the G League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants in a 121-115 win over the Windy City Bulls on Saturday. York tallied seven 3-pointers in the win and set a Mad Ants record for most 35-plus-point games in franchise history.
Mild draft buzz
NBA draft experts aren't high on the Wildcats this season like they were last year with the trio of Bennedict Mathurin, Dalen Terry and Christian Koloko.
In Jonathan Givony's latest mock draft for ESPN for 2023, no Wildcats are mentioned. Sports Illustrated's mock draft projects Larsson landing to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 52 overall in the second round.
NBADraft.net currently has Tubelis as the only Wildcat drafted in ’23, going 40th overall to the Miami Heat.
Photos: Arizona scraps to 81-68 win over Cal in Pac-12 home opener
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) works his way into the lane against Cal forward Lars Thiemann (21) in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo, left, takes a shot to the head from Cal forward Lars Thiemann while heading to the basket in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center on Dec. 4, 2022.
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis looks for help through the pressure of Cal guard Marsalis Roberson in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center on Dec. 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) drags down an offensive rebound in the paint Cal in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Cal forward Sam Alajiki (24) gets an elbow in the face of Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) trying to defend him under the basket in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Courtney Ramey (0) leans over the baseline to find room to pass around the defense in the second half against Cal at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd led the Wildcats to a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed during his first season as a head coach.
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25) finds enough room for a one-hand scoop against Cal in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Expect a change in Berkeley, where coach Mark Fox and the Golden Bears continue to struggle.
Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr. (45) gets tangled with Cal forward Sam Alajiki (24) as the two jostle for possession in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) knocks back a shot from Cal forward Lars Thiemann (21) in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25) dumps a pass over the Cal defense for forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) in the first half of Sunday’s win in McKale Center.
Wilbur waves the flag at mid-court at the Wildcats are introduced with pyrotechnics for the Arizona game against Cal at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) floats in the lane, taking a shot over Cal forward Sam Alajiki (24) in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Cal forward Lars Thiemann (21) gets ahold of Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) on his shot attempt in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Courtney Ramey (0) gets a handful of Cal guard Devin Askew (55) while defending him near mid-court in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) gets tangled with Cal forward Sam Alajiki (24) trying to get to the bucket in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) rises out of the paint to loft a hook over the Cal defense in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Adama Bal (2) applies pressure to Cal forward Kuany Kuany (13) as he hauls in a pass in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Cal forward Lars Thiemann (21) just clears Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) for a short range jumper in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) throws himself between Cal forward Lars Thiemann (21), top and guard Joel Brown (1) while guarding the top of the key in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 4, 2022.
