However, the University of Virginia men’s basketball team’s starting center didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Salt – who will take the court Thursday night with his teammates in a bid to reach the “Elite Eight” of the NCAA Tournament – is pursuing a master’s degree in educational psychology at UVA’s Curry School of Education and Human Development and has said he is interested in a teaching career.
When he is not playing tenacious defense, setting bone-shattering screens or thrilling fans with thunderous dunks, he can sometimes be found at local elementary schools. There, he reads to children, tells them a bit about his home country, New Zealand, answers their questions or simply spends time with them – a thrill for many young fans.
And he’s far from the only Cavalier athlete making an impact in the local community.