Brownstein: Luguentz Dort moved from Montreal North to the NBA and is paying for it

.

A decade ago, Montreal North native Luguentz Dort couldn’t have anticipated where he finds himself today: a star guard with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder who, at 23, just signed an $87 contract, 5 million.

.

“Not even in my wildest dreams,” laughs Dort, also a member of Canada’s senior men’s basketball team, in a phone interview. “I just never would have believed this was possible, signing a contract like that. But it really shows what can happen.”

Dort has now decided to give back and bring home the message to skeptical kids, as he once was, that wild dreams can come true.

He has created the nonprofit organization Maizon Dort to help improve the lives of underserved youth in Montreal, as well as in Oklahoma City and central Arizona, where he attended Arizona State University.

To that end, Dort returns home to Montreal on Saturday to mentor more than 100 kids from different neighborhoods at Lu the Beast Camp, held at the William-Hingston Center on St-Roch St. In addition to seeing kids play basketball at your event, you’ll be imparting your inspiring story.

.

“The plan is to bring this program to where I grew up, where I went to college and where I play now,” he says. “I want to go back to those places where they gave me an opportunity and that brought me to where I am today. I want to tell the kids how hard it was for me to move on at first, but give them insight into how school and sports can lead to a better path. It allowed me to pursue my dreams.

“With the platform that I have now, I want to do everything I can to give back and make sure that children and families in underserved communities have the same opportunities and support to pursue their dreams.”

Dort freely admits that his life could have taken another turn entirely, as was the case for many people he grew up with. He spent his formative years much more focused on soaking up life on the sometimes hectic streets of Montreal North than pursuing an education, despite the fact that his father was a school principal.

.

“My path was not easy growing up and apart from my parents, at first I had no one to guide me,” says Dort, the son of Haitian immigrants. “I wasn’t very good at school and I could have ended up going in another direction. But sports really helped point me in the right direction.”

Until the age of 12, Dort’s only involvement in sports was as a soccer goalkeeper. By a twist of fate, at that age he showed up at a gym at Parc-Extension, where he caught the eye of Parc-Ex Knights basketball coach Nelson Osse. Dort’s life took a dramatic turn, taking him to schools in Florida and Ontario before heading to Arizona state, where he performed with the college Sun Devils and was named Pac-12 freshman of the year.

.

After his freshman year and after going undrafted, Dort signed his first contract with the Thunder in 2019. He soon established himself as the cornerstone of the franchise, leading to his massive contract signing in July.

However, Dort always had to prove himself along the way. Even at 6-foot-3, he’s considered short for an NBA shooting guard.

“You have to have some tricks when you’re a small guy in the NBA. But I’ve always felt like I’ve had to earn it all with every team, school, and place I’ve been,” he says. “I really had to earn respect, earn my playing time and keep working hard all the time. They never gave me anything. That is the message of my story that I want to convey to children.”

In May, he also committed to playing three years with the senior Canadian men’s basketball team.

.

“I always represent Canada, but also Haiti, my family’s country, wherever I go,” says Dort, the fifth of six children. “My parents worked very hard to get us here.”

Like many others, Dort feels that an NBA franchise in Montreal could be viable.

“That would be great. I think basketball has really grown in Montreal and we also have the fan base to root for a team here. We also have a lot of players from here and around the country who now get a lot of respect for their play in the NBA and on our national team,” says Dort, who hopes the Canadian team can qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“I really believe the day will come when Montreal has an NBA team.”

Of course, Dort could speed up the process by investing some of his funds to help acquire a franchise.

“That could be a plan,” he replies.

By the way. And like everything else in Dort’s life, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.

[email protected]

twitter.com/billbrownstein