A basketball player who helped make the Newcastle Eagles the most successful team in British history will be awarded the city’s highest honour.
Darius Defoe is to be granted the Honorary Freedom of Newcastle by the council in recognition of two decades of achievements on and off the court.
The 6ft 8in-tall (2m) forward recently announced his retirement after 22 seasons with the Eagles, during which time he earned the nickname “Mr 28” because of his involvement in all 28 of the club’s major title wins.
Defoe said the “love and support I’ve received from the Geordie people throughout my career has meant everything”.
Newcastle City Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Colin Ferguson said the 41-year-old’s achievements had “brought pride, recognition, and prestige to Newcastle”.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ferguson told a full-council meeting this week Defoe had served as a role model “to countless young people across Newcastle and the wider North East”.
“His impact can be measured not only in silverware won, but in lives influenced, ambitions nurtured, and opportunities created for young people across our region.”
