The city of Halifax had just endured one of the worst winter storms in a quarter-century, but that didn’t deter Kappos from falling in love with the city and joining Dalhousie University’s men’s basketball program.

“I lost my tan pretty quick,” laughed Kappos. “But one thing I always say is Halifax has the nicest people I’ve ever met. You can become friends with people in a matter of minutes and they take pride in that.”

So how does Kappos end up in Canada’s Ocean Playground? His father, a Canadian, played with Tigers head coach Rick Plato back in the 1970s at St. Mary’s University and when Kappos’ plans to attend Florida State fell through, he took the chance to bring his basketball talents north of the border.

The arrival of Kappos has helped elevate the Tigers into a national championship contender and he has flourished under the hard-nosed approach of Plato.

“He pushed us to our extremes and thankfully I was lucky enough to have those types of coaches in high school and AAU growing up,” Kappos said. “It builds the team very close. You have to work your butt off to reach that level to succeed and that was established with our team from the very beginning.”

Through his five years at Dalhousie, Kappos earned his degree in marine biology, and on the court, helped the Tigers to four Atlantic University Conference championships in five years, and a silver and bronze medal at the U SPORTS Final 8 tournament.

Kappos was selected by the Stingers in the first round (fourth overall) in this past year’s CEBL U SPORTS draft. The six-foot-10 power forward brings a unique skillset to the Stingers and will get his first pro experience at the CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines. He’s a proven rim protector and the big man can stretch the floor and shoot the ball from beyond the arc.

Kappos didn’t always have his height as an asset and primarily played shooting guard until he hit his growth spurt in his senior year of high school.

“I went from being six-foot-one to six-foot-eight in a matter of five months. I was always shooting, and once I hit that spurt, I knew I’d have to get used to that style of play and work on my post moves,” Kappos said. “It blended well, as my body adjusted to itself, and I felt I could master the paint.”

Kappos’ time in Canada has also given him an experience and opportunity of a lifetime. He represented Canada at the 2019 FISU Games in Naples, Italy, something his new Stingers teammate Brody Clarke also got to experience last summer.

“People always talk about what a privilege it is to represent your country and you truly don’t know how true that is until you get to experience it. When you put that jersey on, it’s a feeling I can’t describe,” Kappos said.

“Brody’s been a first-team All-Canadian since his second year, and I always watched his game and tried to learn as much as I could from him. When I signed with the Stingers, he was the first guy I called up,” Kappos said.

“We have that strong bond since playing with Team Canada together and I’m looking forward to playing with him full-time now.”

The Stingers received a strong contribution from Clarke in his first summer with the Stingers, and Kappos is looking to bring his blue-collar workmanlike attitude in his first pro experience.

“Playing basketball has been a privilege and a passion, but now it’s a job, and if you don’t bring that same passion and strong work ethic you won’t be successful at the next level,” Kappos said.

“I’m ready to fill whatever role is needed. If they need me to be a shooter, or a post player, I’ll play any role Coach Small needs me to play. If that means I don’t score, that’s okay with me as long as I get the job done.”

One thing is certain, when Kappos puts the gold and blue Stingers jersey on, it will be a moment he will never forget.

“It will be a dream come true. You always dream of that as a kid who plays basketball,” Kappos said. “I always said I wanted to play pro – didn’t matter if it was the NBA, or Europe, I’ve made it. When I put that jersey on, I’m going to cherish it.”