Shaun Livingston hosting fundraiser in hometown for tornado victims, keeps peace of mind with Siddhartha

Jason Kidd, Shaun Livingston
Shaun Livingston, Jason Kidd (AP)
Jason Kidd, Shaun Livingston
Shaun Livingston, Jason Kidd (AP)

In a season that hasn’t gone as planned for the Brooklyn Nets, guard Shaun Livingston has been a bright spot on the court. But he’s also been one in his hometown.

While Mason Plumlee and Joe Johnson representing the Nets in New Orleans for All-Star weekend Over the All-Star break, Livingston will head home to co-host a fundraiser in Illinois, “An Evening with Shaun Livingston.”

The fundraiser is split between the Shaun Livingston Foundation and a local AAU team that Livingston sponsors. Tornadoes wreaked havoc through Livingston’s hometown of Peoria, Illinois, and the fundraiser is to help raise awareness and money in the community. It’ll include a question-and-answer session with the guard, as well as a silent auction with items signed by Livingston and other NBA players.

“I want to do more stuff locally,” Livingston told The Brooklyn Game after the team’s 108-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Monday. “I’m from Peoria, so just trying to do more stuff in the community, take more advantage of me being here in Brooklyn.”

This isn’t the first time Livingston’s helped out a Back in December, Livingston flew back to Peoria to spend a day with the Ammerman family, who lost their home in the tornado.

After speaking with him about the fundraiser, I noticed Livingston had a book in his locker: the novel “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse. It’s one of my favorite books. Tim Bontemps of the New York Post spoke more at length with Livingston about why he’s reading the book and how it’s helped him succeed this year.