When Ayden Khalid initially heard about New York Knicks forward Julius Randle’s plan to donate $500 for every 3-pointer he made to the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School, the 3-point specialist at The Dalton School in New York wondered how he could be involved.
“My main thing is shooting 3s, so I thought it would be pretty cool for me to do it as well,” said Khalid, 16, a junior at the private school that boasts CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and actor Tracee Ellis Ross among its notable alumni. “We notified the Monroe School, created a website and went on from there.”
When Randle, who announced the program in November 2021, visits the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School on Tuesday afternoon, he’ll deliver a check for $880,000 that accounts for the 3-pointers he made last season. Randle had long list of matching donors that included the Knicks, JP Morgan and the NBA Players Association.
And standing with Randle will be Khalid, who’ll present the Monroe School a check for $12,090 for the 3-pointers he made during his just-completed junior season.
“This is what New Yorkers are about — teammates and winning,” said Monroe who launched the charter school in 2021, with filmmaker Dan Klores. “Having all sorts of New Yorkers from companies, workers, students, fans, the Knicks and Ayden come together for ‘30 for 3’ shows people can work together in a truly meaningful way.”
Ayden Khalid, 16, plays for The Dalton School.
The Dalton School
The name of Randle’s effort — “30 for 3” — stems from the uniform number he’s worn since joining the Knicks for the 2019-20 season. That prompted Khalid, who wears No. 3 at The Dalton School, to name his fundraiser “3 for 3.”
Khalid attracted 38 contributors through his website who agreed to make a contribution for each of the 73 3-pointers he made this past season while averaging 18 points per game.
“I was thrilled when he came to us and said he wanted to do this,” said Sohail Khalid, Ayden’s father. “Me and his mother worked really hard to provide a comfortable life for him and his brothers, and we’ve always spoken to them about giving back. He plays AAU ball with friends who don’t have the access he has, and this is a way to help kids who are his age.”
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Monroe estimated that the contributions from Randle, who hit 160 3-pointers during the 2021-22 season and 11 in the postseason, will allow the school to hire eight full-time specific literacy enhancement teachers and help the school remain open year-round. The school helps prepare students for careers in the off-the-court positions in basketball.
“It’s been my privilege to give back,” Randle said. “Earl Monroe is an idol, a great man off the court, and these kids are special.”
Tuesday’s event gave Khalid a chance to stand side by side with his favorite Knicks player.
“I’m excited to see the expression on the kids’ faces when I present them with the check,” Khalid said. “And I look forward to doing it again next year, and raising even more.”
Jerry Bembry is a senior writer at Andscape. His bucket list items include being serenaded by Lizz Wright and watching the Knicks play a MEANINGFUL NBA game in June.
