HoopsHype.com Columns

Players shine in helping victims
by Marc Narducci / September 21, 2005

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina has brought a nation-wide humanitarian spirit and kinship. This has been the ultimate situation where everybody is pulling for the underdog. In difficult times such as these, it's important that people of all walks of life and incomes help with this massive rebuilding effort and in that has been the case.

From the most high profile superstar sports athletes and entertainers to the common every day person, everybody has been touched by this tragedy.

"The other day we had a 10-year-old youngster donate $2.00 to the cause," said Philadelphia 76ers forward Chris Webber, who spearheaded a drive in Detroit to collect supplies and money for displaced students. "It's been great to see so many people in a giving spirit."

The NBA, which in the past has taken its share of image hits, has been in the forefront in the efforts to help those in this time of need.

One advantage the NBA has over the three other major sports is that its teams are currently still on vacation. The Major League Baseball pennant races are winding down, while the NFL enters Week No. 3 of its season and the NHL teams are in training camp preparing for the Oct. 5 opening day.

Meanwhile, the NBA teams don't report to camp until the first week of October, so the players have had extra time and many such as Webber are making good use of it.

Webber was heartened to see more than 150 volunteers come out and help effort. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that more than 372,000 students have been displaced because of the hurricane and Webber feels it's important to get the word out about how many youngsters are in need.

The effort of Webber is just one example of NBA players giving back in these dire times, and while some may view these measures of good will with typical skepticism, the league and players have shown a true desire to care. The players genuinely don't seem interested in being part of photo-ops and just want to help so many who are in need.

While it's hard to believe this for some jaded fans, these multi-millionaires do have hearts and they have definitely been on display in the aftermath of Katrina.

Less than two weeks after the destruction, TNT commentator Kenny Smith organized a benefit all-star game in Houston that drew 11,416.

Price of tickets ranged from $15 to $300, but nobody was complaining because all proceeds went toward the Hurricane Relief Effort.

In addition the NBA stars visited with evacuees, many whom were given tickets to the game. This wasn't a game that included a B-list of stars. The court was littered with stars such as the Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Dwyane Wade, Rashard Lewis, Amare Stoudemire, Jermaine O'Neal, Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury and Jerry Stackhouse.

The West beat the East, 114-95, but that didn't matter. What counted was that the players dropped everything to participate.

Allen Iverson, the Philadelphia 76ers six-time All-Star, was unable to play due to elbow tendinitis, but he still felt it was important enough to be there. One of the world's most popular athletes, Iverson was given a huge ovation by the crowd.

"It was the best game I ever watched because of the magnitude of it," Iverson said. "I love Kenny Smith for what he did. I know a lot of people wanted to do something, but he was the one who did it."

Iverson spoke last week after taping a public service announcement along with Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau for the American Red Cross. The athletes urged everybody to help in any way possible with the post-Katrina recovery.

Iverson said he would look in the eyes of the evacuees, people who have lost everything in life and see the job they received from meeting these NBA celebrities. It's time like this when an NBA superstar doesn't take his celebrity status for granted.

"I don't know what to say to these people because they have been through so much, but if they want to say something to me and it helps make their day, then I get a high from that," Iverson said.

There have been countless other examples of NBA players stepping to the plate to help those in need. A group of players, including Sacramento's Shareef Abdur-Rahim , were part of a major relief effort in Mississippi.

During this clean-up effort, the players got a first-hand look at the massive destruction caused by Katrina. And these athletes, trained to be so mentally tough, were taken aback by all the suffering that the people have gone through.

The NBA is no different than any other line of business. There are plenty of good apples, situated among a few rotten ones. It appears that those players who have found themselves on police blotters generally get the main publicity, clouding the numerous others who are pillars in their communities.

The post-Katrina actions have put the NBA players in a positive light, but there is still something inherently wrong with this.

That's because it shouldn't take a natural disaster such as a hurricane to show that there are many quality human beings who are running up and down NBA courts.

Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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