Ex-Toronto Raptors star surprises entire restaurant by picking up the tab

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Former Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam likes to give back, but he did it in a different way on a recent vacation.

While hanging out in Grenada, Siakam felt like some Kentucky Fried Chicken — and it was lucky for all of the customers there, since he took care of all of their meals.

“We don’t want attention,” Siakam said on a clip posted to social media when doing a drive through was suggested, but he asked to go inside, though.

“They’re saying the Caribbean KFC is different, so I’m trying to see what it’s about,” he says in the clip.

He was surprised how many people were inside and had to laugh when someone asked if he wanted his chicken “spicy” (since Spicy P is his nickname).

Claiming he hadn’t had “KFC in a long time, probably since college (at New Mexico State),” Siakam’s generosity stunned customers inside when a worker told them he was paying for everything. Some were incredulous until told he was an NBA player.

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“This is the first time in history that anyone has ever purchased meals for everyone in the building,” a KFC worker said in the clip.

Siakam seemed to enjoy the food.

The 2019 champion, who was the team’s second-leading scorer, is coming off another big season for the Indiana Pacers, helping lead them to the NBA Finals and a heartbreaking Game 7 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Previously, he has done plenty of charity work through his PS43 program, which holds an annual basketball camp in his native Cameroon, and his Data Dunkers program, which is still held in Toronto and helps students in grades 5 through 12 learn data science skills like coding.

Siakam hosted a Data Dunkers event in Toronto in December 2024 at Humber College.

“You do some of these things from your heart and obviously you hope that it has an impact, but just to see the reactions,” Siakam told City TV’s Lindsay Dunn. “One thing I wanted to do when I left was to continue to have that imprint in the community because I grew up here. So it’s part of me, part of who I am, it’s part of my family.

“To be able to still touch the community while I’m away, and then whenever I get a chance to be here, just making sure I come in and not only show face but just show my support.”

Back in 2021, on his birthday, Siakam announced a six-figure donation through his PS43 Foundation that included new laptops equipped with the necessary programming.