i'm rotating in the pediatrics department at my hospital, and trust me, kids are the greatest. you see them struggling but also energetic for life. it's so easy for me to get attached. both of our stars are the greatest in terms of off the court stuff. i'm not surprised by this. tmac helped another kid who was traumatized by the 9/11 attack and made his day. yao has done a lot of great things that have gone unnoticed. great job guys!!! it's not always about basketball (though winning would be nice )
Tough to hear what he's going through,what a courageous boy. Now that's what being a Houstonian/human being/Rocket is all about.
I just wish the stem cell research will provide a cure for all cancers and tumors in future and make sure this kid survive to be an adult. How can anyone stop stem cell research??
Wow, for the first time this season there's a positive and it has nothing to do with a Rocket's game. Pray that the kid pull through.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5468502.html Ill child's wish fulfilled by T-Mac By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Kameron Oliver, 7, a cancer patient and Make-A-Wish participant, visited Rockets practice Friday and will attend tonight's game. Oliver's wish to meet Tracy McGrady was fulfilled before he met and posed for pictures with the team. "That's what it's all about," McGrady said. "Despite all the glamour, the fame, the fortune, everything like that, when a kid's last wish is to meet a player such as myself and other teammates, to brighten his day and put a smile on his face, there is nothing better than that. That's something you'll cherish the rest of your life, knowing you made a kid's day." Oliver's pastor, Cedric Robbins, said Oliver was told he had six months to live eight months ago. "I feel sad," Yao Ming said. "I know he is sick. I had no idea about how hard it is. "We're happy we can do something for him, to fulfill the wish. We'll dedicate the game to him, be friendly to him, make him happy. I like this. I like the idea, but I wish less and less kids have this problem. It is also for me, unforgettable. I don't know if I could handle this tough a situation." Asked about playing the Spurs tonight, Yao said. "We will win for the kids." "He is more of a man than I'll ever be," Shane Battier said of Oliver. "I want to go home and kiss my wife and tell my mom and dad I love them because health is the most important gift you have in this world. "He reminded us of that. Kameron, what a great guy. He was smiling out there. Go home and kiss your babies tonight."
Shane Battier definitely has a way with words. All of these guys seem to be great human beings but he has a gift for putting into words what most of us feel.
Stories like this sure make you appreciate your own pathetic life a bit more. I feel sad for the little boy. Makes me think about what I would do if I only had 6 months to live.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/magic/2002-12-22-sniper-victim_x.htm McGrady meets 13-year-old sniper victim By John Denton, Florida Today ORLANDO — Iran Brown, the 13-year-old victim shot by Washington, D.C. snipers in October, got to live out a dream Monday when he met and played some hoops with Orlando Magic star guard Tracy McGrady. Brown shot and rebounded alongside of McGrady at the Magic's morning shootaround practice and then attended the game against the Milwaukee Bucks, sitting in owner Rich DeVos' seats. Brown, his mother and three sisters will be in Orlando all week and are also planning to visit several theme parks. The Magic and their sponsors paid for the trip and McGrady even gave Brown a Christmas present when he arrived. "I thought it would be a good idea for him to come down, hang out with a couple of the guys, shoot around and get a chance to go to a game and Disney World," McGrady said. "Hopefully, he'll enjoy this time. It's good to have my man down here with me." Brown was shot Oct. 7 on his way to middle school in Bowie, Md. He was the eighth victim in a shooting spree that terrorized the Washington, D.C. area for more than a month. He was hospitalized for several weeks with severe injuries to his spleen, stomach and pancreas. His spleen was eventually removed. "I'm not as good as I used to be," Brown said of his basketball skills as he clutched a pair of McGrady's autographed adidas shoes. "I can't really play against others yet. And I still need to work on my ball-handling." While hospitalized, Brown told doctors of his dream to meet McGrady, the NBA's leading scorer at 29.3 points a game. Word eventually reached the Magic and McGrady taped an inspirational message and autographed a jersey for the kid. "I was shocked to hear that, especially at a time like that when he was going through so much," McGrady said. "He really touched me. As athletes we don't know how inspirational we can be to a lot of people out there. "It's really touching to me. Every time I step on the court now, I know I'm playing for one of my fans." Brown said McGrady is his favorite player because "he stands out better than all the other players." He elicited a chuckle from McGrady when he said, "T-Mac has a good shot ... I mean a great shot." He said he still dreams of some day playing in the NBA, but for now he just hopes to build his stamina back up. "I can only play for a short while, but I'm feeling good," Brown said. "I've just got to take it day by day and do what the doctors tell us." McGrady did not play Monday because of a bruised back, but hopes to return for Wednesday's Christmas Day game against the Detroit Pistons. "It's awesome that he got to make this trip considering all of the trauma that he's been through," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "It certainly puts everything in the right place when you think about what happened to him. He was probably more inspiring to our team than we were to him."
Sometimes I gripe about McGrady's play on the court, but this isn't the first time he's done something like this. He is one of the NBA stars who has a big heart and really cares about kids. The whole Rockets team is made up of really good guys. It makes me proud to be a fan.
but i wish tracy and the team will make a breakthrough soon. we have too much talent for this mediocrity. let's see what tmac coming back can do for this team.
Great story. I'm a Rox fan because I'm from Houston but besides that the Rox have always been easy to love because so many of the Rockets greats have also been great people.
Man, Those pics brought tears to my eyes. That is what life is all about. People helping people. I cannot imagine having a teminally ill son or daughter. We really don't appreciate the important things in our lives.
Not surprisingly the team played with spirit through out the whole game and I wish the boy all the best.
