TORONTO — Andrew Nembhard doesn’t like to think about what his legacy might be, instead focusing on helping as many people as he can.
The Indiana Pacers point guard donated a basketball shooting machine to the Malvern Family Resource Centre in the Toronto area Scarborough on Tuesday. The valuable piece of equipment corrals made shots and automatically passes the basketball back to a waiting player.
“It’s tough for me, honestly, when I think about legacy. It’s a very self-serving thing, so I try not to be too into legacy or anything like that,” he said in a recent phone interview. “But if I could just be a small piece of anybody’s journey, or just help out any way I can, I will.
“I know it’s hard to make real big changes, but just do anything to just kind of myself out there, try a little bit.”
Nembhard grew up in Aurora, Ont., playing basketball with his younger brother Ryan Nembhard, who signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks in July after playing two NCAA seasons with Gonzaga.
Andrew Nembhard said that his desire to build communities was inspired by his father Claude Nembhard, who used to volunteer as a youth basketball coach and is now chief executive officer of Ontario Basketball.
“My Pops was always a guy who loved to help out, and he’s coached me ever since I can remember — I was three or four — and he’s always been in the community, networking and getting to know people,” said Andrew Nembhard. “It’s always been about helping out, helping out his kids and helping out just everybody in general.
“He never really saw basketball as an opportunity to further himself, but to give back to others and do what he enjoys.”
Claude Nembhard said he planned to donate some more basketballs to the Malvern Family Resource Centre so that the machine his son was donating had more balls to pass back to youth players.
“Basketball, especially basketball in Ontario, has been so good to us, to me and my family, the boys, especially,” he said. “This is kind of my give back to help basketball grow as much as possible.
“We’re a great point right now across the country, but you’ve still got room for growth.”
For 25-year-old Andrew Nembhard, the donation was about more than just introducing a new sport to children or easing the burden on volunteer coaches.
“I hope it creates another opportunity for kids to have fun in a gym where it’s safe, doing the right things, hanging out with kids their age and keeping their minds focused on the right things,” he said.
“It’s not necessarily just about growing the game and trying to make them the best basketball players as possible, but enjoying something fun with their friends on and off the court in a safe environment.”
Nembhard was back in Toronto because the Pacers will play the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. Nembhard is averaging 18.3 points, 6.4 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game for Indiana (2-15) this season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
