NBA players make enough money that they don't need to have side gigs, but the New York Knicks' Kyle O'Quinn has taken one on anyway. And his job title might surprise you: bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah entertainer.
No, seriously. O'Quinn spends a few weekends a year headlining at the ceremonies, which celebrate coming of age in Judaism. ESPN's Ian Begley talked to O'Quinn about his emergence on the bar/bat mitzvah scene in a very fun and unique story:
He arrives to the party after the religious ceremony and is sometimes introduced by video or by the emcee.
"Then I come out and they just go nuts," he said. "After that, it's like [I'm] a part of the party."
That includes dancing, joking around with the kids, taking selfies and signing autographs.
"They see how much I enjoy it and they let me rock out," he said. "The parents are partying with the kids and it's a big festival. They're letting loose, having a good time, and the kids are having a good time.
"Honestly, it's really nice to be a part of their culture and be down with them."
O'Quinn also said that the parties are so fun, he often stays longer than he was scheduled to be there.
"A lot of times, I go and I stay longer than I'm supposed to because it's so much fun," O'Quinn said. "The food's always good. The only thing that gets a little overwhelming is the kids; sometimes they don't listen to the structure of the party and it just gets loose.
"And the [parents] kind of leave it like, 'Kyle, you deal with it.' And it's kids saying, 'Selfie, selfie, selfie, snapchat, what's your snapchat?' But once you get that out of the way, it's fun."
That feeling when you get invited to headline another bar mitzvah.
This story jumps to the top of the list of most unique and interesting off-court stories in the league. Kyle O'Quinn, bar/bat mitzvah superstar. Who would have ever guessed?
Now that this story is out, hopefully O'Quinn can get some more gigs booked.
