WATERLOO, Ont. - A former walk-on with Laurier's men's basketball team continues his remarkable rise to new heights within the basketball community. 

Kareem Elliott (BKin '22), a five-year student-athlete with the Golden Hawks from Brampton, Ont., was recently named as one of two winners of the Wayne and Theresa Embry Fellowship (WTEF), which is supported by the Toronto Raptors organization.

The fellowship has been awarded yearly since 2017/2018, with this being the third year that two winners were named who showcased great commitment and passion towards not only basketball but social impact as well.

Elliott's journey in the basketball world is marked by his drive and commitment to the game and has seen him already achieve many levels of success.

Recipients of this fellowship receive the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in professional basketball. These opportunities include coaching, scouting, player development, medical, equipment, travel, G-League and more opportunities with the team. 

Elliott will also get event experience at the NBA's Summer League, and Basketball without Borders World Camp, held during the NBA All-Star game weekend.

"We're so proud of Kareem's journey. To begin working for an NBA team in such a short time, it's great to see," said his former and Laurier's current manager of men's basketball operations and head coach Justin Seresse. 

"His story is one of the most impactful ones I've seen as an assistant or head coach. The fact that he was able to get this internship shows how tremendous of an individual he is. His passion for the game and attention to detail shows that he has the drive to go where he wants to."

"I'm very proud of him but know it's only the beginning for him." 

In his first year attending Laurier, Elliott knew he wanted to be a part of the basketball culture, which led him to try out for the team. After making the cut, he left his mark with the Golden Hawks. He spent the next five seasons with the purple and gold, three of those as one of the team's captains. 

Following his collegiate career at Laurier, Elliott moved on to work for Canada Basketball as the manager of the National Training Centre and as a video associate on the inaugural GloblJam staff.

"At Laurier, I started doing some coaching and training with assistant coach Chuder (Teny) and his WHYNOTYOU Basketball program, and it made me realize basketball is too important to me to give up," said Elliott, describing the increased drive to pursue a basketball career - and in coaching, specifically."

"Everywhere I have been, I have been around great coaches."

These experiences helped open his eyes to the world of player development and film analysis, allowing him to work with Canada's best basketball players and coaches. 

Following this, Elliott furthered his coaching experience by becoming a coach at the Royal Crown Prep School in Toronto, where the team won an OSBA championship this past season. 

"At Royal Crown, we put a lot into every day and take nothing for granted, so winning the championship was something we worked for every day. It is still great, but seeing the kids we are training grow, learn, and develop at their time at Royal Crown was an even better feeling than the championship," Elliott said.

Despite finishing as a finalist for the WTEF just a year ago, Elliott kept pursuing his passion for player development and coaching, becoming a player development coach with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, and along with this coaching milestone, he was also promoted to Lead Skills Trainer with Canada Basketball, allowing him to work with many, NBA, professional, and NCAA-D1 collegiate players. 

Elliott is now working as an assistant coach for the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). His role includes maintaining and developing player skill sets while assisting in scouting and defensive strategies. 

"Seeing how coaches around the world approach the game allows me to create my perspective of basketball," he said. 

Elliott readily admits that it's his time at Laurier where his perspective on the game - and life in general - started taking shape.

"Coach Justin always emphasized the game of life. Not only are we developing as basketball players, but also as men, professionals, husbands, and so much more. Like the quote "The marathon continues", you have to keep pushing.

"Life is a process. You have to keep developing to reap the benefits."