APHOUSTON - All-Stars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire and Dwyane Wade will play in an NBA Players Hurricane Relief Game organized by TNT analyst Kenny Smith.
The game is Sunday at 6 p.m. EDT at the Toyota Center and will be televised by TNT at 11 p.m. Participating players will donate funds and supplies valued at more than $1 million for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
“The game is a show of our support and solidarity for those affected by this natural disaster,” Smith said. “As professional athletes we’ve been very privileged and this is one way we can help take care of our own.”
Before the game, the players will distribute truckloads of their donated goods and supplies to shelters throughout the Houston area, many of which are housing displaced New Orleans residents. Items will include food, clothing, water, toiletries and other basic necessities.
Ticket proceeds will be donated to charity. Special ticket arrangements will be made for Hurricane Katrina victims.
In addition to being home to the NBA’s Rockets, Houston is an offseason hot spot for players looking for competitive offseason workouts. A handful of players in Sunday’s game have ties to Houston or New Orleans.
New Orleans Hornets forward J.R. Smith will play. One of the coaches will be Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, a Louisiana native who went to Southern University.
Also scheduled to play are Detroit Pistons teammates Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter. Both are natives of Mississippi, whose coastline also was hit hard by Katrina.
Others planning to participate are former NBA All-Star forwards Charles Oakley and Derrick Coleman, Indiana Pacers forwards Ron Artest and Jermaine O’Neal, Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, Boston Celtics swingman Paul Pierce, Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning and Memphis Grizzlies guard Dahntay Jones.
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At an NBA Players Association news conference Tuesday announcing a fund-raising initiative called “Operation Rebound,” Marbury broke down and began crying while speaking about the tragedy that has left perhaps thousands dead and tens of thousands homeless.
TNT’s telecast team will include analysts Smith and Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson as host and play-by-play announcer and Craig Sager as sideline reporter.
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