(PHOTO AND STORY: KHQ.COM)
February 23rd is Fat Thursday in Poland and as a welcome gift to Spokane, we surprised Przemek Karnowski’s parents Bonifacy and Wieslawa Karnowski with donuts. The donuts looked different to what they are used to and the language was foreign, but one thing came across loud and clear, Gonzaga Basketball.
Parents of Nationally ranked Zag number 24, Karnowski, basketball became our translator. “Basketball is not as popular in Poland as in the USA,” his father says.
The record-breaking center didn’t start playing basketball until he was thirteen years old. Before, he played ice hockey.
They said he didn’t learn English until he came to Spokane and although they are 5,000 miles from Spokane, his dad doesn’t miss a single game.
“Przemek is our only son, we have only one child,” his father adds. This wasn’t their first time to Spokane but it is likely their last. To Gonzaga and Spokane they say, “thank you GU for these 5 years, Gonzaga has become like a second family for Przemek.”
To their son, “Przemek you must play today like always.”