NBA Action: Charity Round Up
CHRIS PAUL
How about a big plate of Chris Paul for lunch? Seriously. You can now walk into any ‘Copelands’ restaurant and order a big ol’ plate of CP3 with extra sauce and a side o’ fries and not feel guilty about it because it’s for charity…On Saturday, the Hornets’ All-Star babe, hosted 240 boys and girls ages 7 to 16 at Lakefront Arena for his inaugural Chris Paul Basketball Camp, where he also announced a couple of new charitable initiatives-one of which is the signature Chris Paul dish with proceeds benefiting the Al Copeland Foundation and the Chris Paul Basketball Camp.
“I’m here for the kids, ” Paul said. “I love them, I love when they ask the craziest questions. They asked ‘Do you like basketball?’ You never know what you are going to hear when you are out there with the kids. That’s what it is all about. I think of myself as a big kid…I think of some of the opportunities they have to meet an NBA basketball player, and I just want to give them hope.”
More hope from the balling do-gooder comes with the announcement that he’s also teamed with country music star Garth Brooks and his ‘Teammates For Kids Foundation,’ a nonprofit charity that donates money to other charities based on the accomplishments of athletes. Teammates For Kids has donated more than $68 million in cash, gifts and scholarships through players and teams in the NFL, NHL and MLB…no surprise that Chris Paul was chosen as the foundation’s first NBA partner. Under the plan, Teammates For Kids will triple Paul’s contribution to his charity. “Chris is going to be like our arrangement with every other athlete—whatever he pledges . . . it’s our job as a foundation to triple that money, ” Brooks said. “We are very lucky to enter this sport, and we are very lucky to have had a great conversation with the players association and the league up in New York last week.”
GRANT HILL AND THE SUNS
Another one of our smoking hot ballers with a massive heart, Grant Hill (Phoenix Suns) hosted the Paint the Planet Orange kickoff event last week at Balsz Elementary School in Phoenix…Hill was joined by new Sun Matt Barnes and his sexy tattoos as they dropped in on kids during the weeklong campaign which included appearances at various charitable organizations…Also, on Friday, October 31, join the City of Phoenix Graffiti Busters Project (47th Avenue Food Store, beginning at 2 p.m. 4723 W Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85031) The Suns have teamed up with the City of Phoenix’s Graffiti Busters project to clean up the city as Suns stars Amare Stoudemire, Robin Lopez and Sean Singletary along with Mayor Phil Gordon and The Gorilla help paint the planet orange when they paint over destructive graffiti. The City of Phoenix’s Graffiti Busters program sends crews to remove graffiti reported through the hotline and also coordinates with other public and private agencies to remove graffiti. More info HERE.
SAN LONGORIA SPURS
Its been a long time since I’ve given any love to the Spurs…still wince when I do…but I must…mainly because NBA Hall of Famer, George “The Iceman” Gervin (far R), fired the starting gun for the 2nd annual Spurs Hope & Possibility 5k to benefit the Achilles San Antonio chapter at the Center for the Intrepid and the Spurs Foundation.
Spurring on participants were Ime Udoka, Jacque Vaughn and Tim Duncan (far right as well)…also at the event were Bruce Bowen, Roger Mason, Manu Ginobili and Tony Longoria-Parker.
And as much as I hate running, I suspect I would have clocked a sensational time had I known Kurt Thomas would be there to quench my thirst…
**Please visit Look to the Stars to read my interview with former talk show host Jenny Jones. She is improving this world one person at a time and hands down, ranks as one of my favorite celebrity philanthropists.
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As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com
Lewis Hamilton Wins British Grand Prix
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS BRITISH GRAND PRIX
While Rafael Nadal was busy humbling R-Fed yesterday, British babe Lewis Hamilton was busy burning rubber at the British Grand Prix. The Formula One beast, who has already secured victories in Australia and Monaco, finished the race 68.5 seconds ahead of Nick Heidfeld to capture his first British GP Race. “It’s by far the best victory I’ve ever had,” Hamilton told reporters. “The conditions were bad and as I was driving I thought, `If I win this, it will be the best race I’ve ever done.’ On my last lap, I could see the crowd starting to rise to their feet, and I was just praying, praying, praying I could get the car round.”
Hamilton mastered the slick conditions on the track- his winning margin of 68.5 seconds over Heidfeld was the largest since Damon Hill won by more than two laps in the 1995 Australian GP. Pretty impressive- actually, more than impressive-its on par with Nadal’s Wimbledon victory and Rocco’s stunning US Open performance…Hamilton is only 23-years-old, but as with most F1 drivers, he has the mental ability to cope under considerable pressure-except when trying to quote Martin Luther King. “I can’t remember it word for word, something like ‘It is not the times when we triumph and are successful that make us who we are, but those when we are at our lowest and going through troubles’. It’s a long way off from the actual quote, but I remember reading it and thinking it was very important. Coming into the race, the whole week had been tough, but when you take it all in, you learn more. And when you are racing, you learn a lot more and how to improve.” (The quote Lewis was trying for: ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’) Next race: Germany, July 20.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com
