http://www.nba.com/community/smith_050907.html http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2158943 The "proof" was posted in the last thread, where you said, "If they give money regardless of playing, I will shut up." Now shut up.
ADVERTISEMENT 29 players open their hearts By KEN HORNACK Staff Writer Last update: September 11, 2005 Orlando Magic guard Steve Francis is among the 29 NBA players scheduled to take part tonight in a league-sanctioned charity game organized by TNT analyst Kenny Smith to help raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The game will be played at the Toyota Center in Houston, the city where many of the evacuees from the New Orleans area were sent by bus. Francis played in Houston for the Rockets before being acquired by the Magic as part of the Tracy McGrady trade and held his annual benefit game there last month. McGrady and former Magic guards Cuttino Mobley and Tyronn Lue have committed to play, as well as stars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Amare Stoudemire. TNT will show the game on tape delay and with no commercial interruption beginning at 11 p.m. Smith said during a conference call Friday that each player is being asked to contribute a minimum of $10,000 to the relief effort and for their donations to be made in person at one of the 97 shelters in the Houston area. Smith claimed that it wasn't much trouble enlisting players for the game. In some cases, he said they contacted him instead of the other way around. And the film footage of many of those left homeless hit Smith hard. "These people look like us," he said. "They dress like us. They are us." http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Sports/NBA/03SportsNBA091105.htm
