Samuel Olotu

When asked who your hero is, you chose your mom. Can you share more about why you chose this person as your hero and how they’ve inspired you?

I chose my mother as my hero as she withholds the best attributes of life and spreads them across anyone who she meets. This really motivates us to chase our dreams and strive for the best. Sometimes she can lecture me and my brothers for hours which is quite boring sometimes however the message always sticks within us and that is, “Don’t wait for opportunities…Create them.”

How has being a basketball player changed your life and what does playing basketball mean to you? 

Being a basketball player has changed me in a variety of ways, however it has most importantly shown me how life presents us with many challenges for which we must adjust our game plan to and keep persevering till the final second. Playing basketball means everything to me as it has influenced my lifestyle vastly; from the way I think to the way I portray myself has been heavily guided by the game of Basketball.

Young people often times look up to players like you for advice and encouragement. What advice can you share with kids who may be reading this about not only being a great basketball player but about being a great human being? 

One piece of advice I would give to the kids that I feel would empower them as a human beings would be to always go 110% at everything you do and not to leave any room for regrets. Most importantly to have fun and enjoy the arts of what you do.

We all have good days and bad days. Self love and love for humanity are an important part of the mission of HHH. Being an athlete, what do you do to make sure that your mental health is as strong as your physical health? 

As a student-athlete we go through many mental complications between academics and the game of basketball. One of the things I do to stay mentally strong is meditation. I think it’s important to spend a minimum of 5 minutes every morning to remind yourself of your goals and what it will take to achieve them. This enables me to block out any negative thoughts and motivate myself to continue to persevere and stay mentally strong.

Who would you say is someone that has inspired you?

An individual I grew up watching that inspired me was Collin Sexton. His style of play complimented the ethics of basketball. He worked hard and played aggressive which is something I like to mirror about him.

Thank you so much for sharing your heart with HHH today Samuel. Is there anyone you want to shout out that you’re grateful for?

I’d like to thank my parents first of all for encouraging me to keep on persevering a benefitted future through the game of basketball and also for keeping me on the right path, all my United Kingdom friends, and coaches that have supported me from the beginning! Deeply appreciated! It’s GO time now!