You can be thankful about so many things around the Christmas time and for me personally it´s having good health. It didn´t look so rosy some years ago for me, but just to still be around at this part of the year and being able to be around your loved ones is simply the best feeling. Basketball wise, I´m actually thankful about many things, but one comes to mind and that is that I actually will see the great Omari Knox (185-SG-1986, college: Bloomfield) play again this season not once, but twice. Last season I wrote a farewell article to his career as it seemed like he would retire, but no he is back again this season at the ripe age of 38 and still a main force in the Pro B with TSV Tropics Oberaching. He has played his whole career in Germany and seen many Christmas´s and like for so many ballers out there a very important time of the year. “I would define it as the annual celebration of Christ’s birthday. Christmas has always been important over the years to completely recharge and enjoy time away with the family. As an athlete you invest so much time away from your family, coming home later, and every weekend spent in the gym, so the winter break really allows you to get in some quality time without distraction”, stressed Omari Knox.

The explosive scorer grew up in Brooklyn New York and still remembers those special Christmas´s as a kid as if it was yesterday. Times haven´t changed as my 7 year old son in 2024 has some Switch games on his Santa Claus wish list and when Knox was a kid, he remembers one of his favorite gifts being a Sega Genesis gaming system. “I remember being too excited to go to sleep and wake up for Christmas morning. I would usually wake up to the smell of breakfast and the sound of Christmas music playing. I would be allowed to open my gifts right away. I’m not sure how old I was, but waking up to a living room full of wrapped gifts under the tree, that weren’t there before I went to bed. I had assumed Santa wasn’t coming that year hahaha. Only to be happily surprised and get pretty much everything that I had asked for”, remembered Omari Knox. I always remembered being able to open my presents at night in the States as my German parents celebrated Xmas the European way. When school resumed I would always annoy my classmates about having already seen my presents on Christmas eve. For the guard, he has seen both sides to the story. “I’ve experienced both as a kid so it doesn’t really make too much of a difference for me. I would say I always found it more exciting and more of a Christmassy Vibe, to wake up together in the morning, have music playing and open gifts as a family”, said Omari Knox.

This season he will be back in Bavaria for Christmas where he has been most of the time since coming overseas in 2009. But there have been exceptions when he was in the States like in 2018 when he experienced an incredible time related to basketball. “It was my wife’s first time in New York and we also got to see the Knicks at the Garden”, said Omari Knox. He also has a favorite Xmas here in Germany and that was in 2022 when his parents visited him and celebrated in Germany which was their first time in Germany. There are so many beautiful things that you can experience in Germany in the holiday time and one of those are the extraordinary Christmas markets that seem to be on almost every corner like Mcdonalds are in the States. “I think my first season in Germany, one of my teammates must have brought me over to see it for the first time. Now every year, I try to go at least once or twice. Especially if I’m not yet in the holiday spirit”, added Omari Knox. During the Xmas season he is still working as he has games every weekend leading up to Christmas and then has a 2 week break. This season he has a special basketball present he wants. “The perfect basketball Xmas present for me this season would be to finish out our last 2 games with wins. Especially with the last game being, a tough one on the road in Cologne against my former team”, warned Omari Knox. His team Oberaching has continued to rise as in the last 3 seasons finished 8,7 and 6 in the standings and this season are in 4th place, It is apparent that great coach Mario Matic´s developing of team chemistry and keeping guys for years has really paid off. “Coach Mario has done a great job of always keeping the core guys together, and only bringing in good character players to add to the band”, stated Omari Knox. He also would allow his teammate Peter Zeis to play Santa Claus for the kids as he would fit that bill perfectly. Will he celebrate Xmas any differently this season? “Hopefully, the same way I’ve always enjoyed it. I hope to be able to wake up on Christmas morning, have breakfast with my family, open some gifts, and give my son some nice core memories from the holidays”, commented Omari Knox. Some things never change during the Xmas season. Reliving those memories from your life will always be present. Merry Xmas Omari. Looking forward to seeing you in 2025 in the arena again.