University of Minnesota Athletics
Black History Month: Maverick Ahanmisi
2/5/2020 5:07:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Maverick Ahanmisi was a guard for the Gopher basketball team from 2010-2014. He played an important role off the bench for the Gophers in his four seasons. In his senior season, he posted a career-high 21 points against High Point. The things that Ahanmisi misses the most about being a student-athlete is getting to play in "The Barn", attending football games, and connecting with all the other students and people at the university. His favorite memory was beating the No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers at home and having the entire student section swarm the court to celebrate with them.
Ahanmisi gave this advice to student-athletes as he looked back at his collegiate career, "Enjoy it. I don't regret any time that I took to enjoy with friends or teammates. I look back now and realize that those were times in my life that I will cherish forever."
Since he's left the University of Minnesota, Ahanmisi has been playing professional basketball in the Philippines. This is currently his fifth year there and he has just signed a two-year deal with a new team.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is a chance to appreciate and credit African Americans who have paved the way not only for Blacks, but for all races, to enjoy the way we live now. For example, Martin Luther King Jr., has given us the opportunity to enjoy each race and each culture equally.
How have you been influenced or inspired by other black athletes, role models, or leaders in your life?
Growing up as a basketball player, Kobe Bryant was everything I wanted to be. He influenced my grind everyday to become a professional basketball player. I never realized the impact that I had when I was at the U, until I started receiving letters from fifth and sixth graders that I was their favorite player. What students-athletes, especially at the college level, have to realize is that they are influencing a generation of kids to strive for their goals and try to make it to where they are today.