A Michiana native, who at age 28 is still chasing his dream of playing in the NBA, came home Friday to inspire kids with dreams of their own.
Coming out of Marian High School in Mishawaka, Devin Cannady says he heard plenty of people doubt whether he’d ever play professional basketball. He went on to star at Princeton University.
Cannady went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft but that hasn’t stopped him. Last year he played with the Birmingham Squadron, the New Orleans Pelicans-affiliated team in the NBA’s G League.
He’s also written a children’s book, titled “Aliya Can.” Its protagonist is named after his daughter Aliya, who turns one on Sunday.
On Friday Cannady, with Aliya crawling around the room, read his book to kids during Storytime at the Mishawaka-Penn library in downtown Mishawaka. One of the pages shows her dunking a toy basketball.
"This book really is a simple way to tell you to believe in yourself. If you didn't know, Aliya loves basketball," Cannady said, drawing laughs. "Aliya can do anything. Why? Because she believes that she can."
