Former Dayton star entering second season with Pacers
@nba_newyork Jacob Toppin Knicks preseason debut: 10 minutes 2 blocks 4 points 2 rebounds @Jacob Toppin #newyork #fyp #ForYou #basketball #nba #Knicks
On Wednesday, Obi Toppin visited the UD RecPlex, taking photos with many kids and chatting with them. He also competed in 1-on-1 games with several participants during the fourth annual CareSource Obi Toppin Basketball ProCamp.
Toppin helped tie the shoes of a younger camper and showcased one of his signature Eastbay dunks—the between-the-legs slam he first performed at UD Arena nearly six years ago—against a kid selected to challenge him.
He has turned the two-day camp into a summer staple in Dayton, enhancing his legacy with the Dayton Flyers, four years after earning numerous national player of the year honors in his final college season.
“I’m super blessed to be back here,” Toppin shared. “It keeps growing. More and more kids come. I’m always happy to come back and see the smiles on the kids’ faces.”
He received plenty of support, with several Dayton men’s basketball players assisting as coaches, including Nate Santos, Javon Bennett, Jacob Conner, Atticus Schuler, Makai Grant, Evan Dickey, and Will Maxwell.
The 6-foot-9 forward from Ossining, N.Y., initially sat out his freshman year at Dayton as an academic redshirt, played two seasons, and entered the NBA after the 2019-20 season, where he was recognized as the consensus national player of the year. He ranks 41st in UD history with 1,096 points.
Toppin played a crucial role in leading Dayton to 20 consecutive wins, a No. 3 national ranking, and a 29-2 record in his final season, only for the pandemic to cancel the postseason.
Last season, Dayton made a return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since that disappointment, and Toppin watched the games alongside former teammate Jalen Crutcher.
“To see them in the tournament was a blessing,” Toppin remarked.
Over the past four seasons in the NBA, Toppin had a standout year, averaging a career-high 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in his first season with the Pacers, following three seasons with the New York Knicks, who drafted him eighth overall in 2020.
“Year one in Indy? It was amazing,” Toppin said. “We had some of the best coaches and players.”
In July, he signed a four-year, $ 60 million contract extension to remain with the Pacers.
“It’s a blessing,” Toppin mentioned. “My family is super happy. I’m excited to go back to Indy and have another great season.”
Toppin played a key role in leading the Pacers to their first Eastern Conference finals in a decade. He was one of nine players to average over 10 points per game and was the only player to appear in all 82 regular-season games, starting 28 of them.
“We’ve got a chip on our shoulder,” Toppin stated. “Many didn’t believe we could achieve what we did last year, and I feel some still think that. We have a great group of young players who are eager to work.”
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