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- Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn has a surprising side hustle — serving as entertainment at bar and bat mitzvahs in and around New York.
- O’Quinn’s agent invited him to his daughter’s bat mitzvah, which he would later call “one of the best parties I’ve been to in my life.”
- Since then, O’Quinn has spent time dancing, signing autographs, taking selfies, and generally acting as the life of the party at bar and bat mitzvahs.
Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn might be a force on the court, but he spends his spare time moonlighting in a surprisingly sweet side gig — entertaining kids at bar and bah mitzvahs around New York City.
According to a story from ESPN’s Ian Begley, O’Quinn attended his first bat mitzvah when his agent Andy Miller invited him to celebrate at his daughter’s ceremonial entrance to adulthood.
“That was one of the best parties I’ve been to in my life,” O’Quinn said of the affair.
Since then, O’Quinn has begun making the rounds of the bar and bat mitzvah scenes, booking gigs through his agency and showing up to help parents relax and kids enjoy the party.
“I did one, did two, and the next thing you know, I was just Bar Mitzvah Man.”
O’Quinn doesn’t attend the religious service aspect of the celebration, but will join the group at the party afterwards, with an emcee introducing him to the crowd. “Then I come out and they just go nuts,” O’Quinn said. “After that, it’s like [I’m] a part of the party.”
As an easy-to-love big man and known comedian of the Knicks’ locker room, it’s no surprise that O’Quinn would have success in this role, and it has apparently turned into a fairly successful side hustle for the center.
O’Quinn’s role at the party is amorphous — he’ll spend time dancing and joking with the kids, signing autographs, and taking tons of selfies. His job is to be the life of the party, and it is something he seems to excel at.
“They see how much I enjoy it and they let me rock out,” he said. “The parents are partying with the kids and it’s a big festival. They’re letting loose, having a good time and the kids are having a good time.”
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