World Slam Dunk Champion Motivates Klamath Tribe

Taylor David in Entertainment. Discussion »

CHILOQUIN, OREGON – The Klamath Tribal Health and Family Services -Youth & Family Interventions Program brought in Kenny Dobbs, Choctaw, to speak about overcoming alcohol and drugs to become the World Slam Dunk Champion.

Kenny Dobbs - Choctaw, Flies Over Brave Volunteers

The evening began with an honor song by local youth, then presentations, and a motivational speech by Choctaw Native, and World Champion Kenny Dobbs, who shared his life story of how he was raised in a house of drugs and alcohol until he was eight years old. Then, when his parents straightened out their lives, he continued down the road of destruction until at the age of 11, he was smoking weed and drinking. At 15 he dropped out of school and his life spiraled downhill into selling meth

He told the audience he can't even remember the amount of times he had been shot at or chased for the life style he was leading, or how many couches and places he had to stay because he was kicked out of his house for his bad actions. At 17, he was facing charges of life in prison from a burglary charge, but through prayer and what he truly knows was a miracle from God, he was saved from a life of destruction.

He told the students that he knew it was a miracle that he did not go to prison, and just like he had promised God, he began to turn his life around. He worked hard for a year and a half from 7:00 am to 11:30 pm at night, with no spring or summer breaks, to make up all his school credits to graduate. He gave up his friends, women, and bad habits and dedicated his life to his education. He then went on to college and after three turn downs, he walked on to a smaller college in Arizona with a scholarship.

It was then that he entered a slam dunk contest where Shaquille O'neal's cousin saw him, and the rest is YouTube history!

Today, he is the current reigning "World Slam Dunk Champion." Dobbs has never lost a slam dunk contest and recently won the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest by doing a dunk over three men with a blindfold on!

His goal has always been to be in the NBA and he is currently training to try out for the Dallas Mavericks soon. Once there he will enter the two NBA slam dunk contests and continue to follow his dreams.

His message to everyone is simple, but true:

Be a Leader - Lead by Example Be drug and alcohol free… that's a given! Kenny says, " How can you tell your child to be drug and alcohol free, if they have to live in that environment?"

Tribal Chairman Gary Frost, Kenny Dobbs, Carlos Smothers
and Vice Chair Don Gentry

Make Your Education a Priority You must have good grades to accomplish your goals. His biggest regret is not playing high school basketball.

Write Down Your Dreams & Goals so you can see them and visualize them- you can be anything you want to be.

Put God first! Without God and his faith, Dobbs maintained, he would not be where he is today. He is using his God given natural abilities to make a positive influence today.

Following Kenny's presentation the Slam Dunk Extraordinaire started with "thundering cheers" from the packed gym. Masters of Ceremony, Louie Miller, kept the event fun and also introduced another slam dunk marvel, Carlos Smothers, who traveled here with Kenny and is also a Slam Dunk guru. The evening ended with autographs, pictures, cake, punch, and smiles around the entire gym. It was a good feeling to see so many youth of all ages in one place.

Taylor David, Public Information Manager for the Klamath Tribes, writes for the Klamath News.

posted July 27, 2012 10:59 am edt