The NBA All-Star Weekend may be long over, but the starving people of Toronto will forever cherish the memory of having the prominent members of the NBA community pack food for them.
Unknown to many, the NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto tipped off by packing and repacking food donations at the Enercare Center in Toronto, alongside volunteers from the Daily Bread Food Bank. The community service project was done thanks to the basketball league's charitable arm, NBA Cares, which benefited more than 30,000 Canadians in need of food assistance.
Part of the repacking efforts was Carmelo Anthony, NBA's scoring champion in 2013, and one of the main stalwarts of the New York Knicks.
"We all should take a moment to appreciate the position that we are in, and think about how others are faring," he said, in an interview with Samaritan Mag. ""Those who have influence should always try to give back, especially those who know what it was like to grow up in underprivileged communities. It's only right."
Nearly a thousand members of the NBA family repacked over 110,000 pounds of food. Sporting shirts with the NBA Cares and Jr. NBA logos, legends like 7'2 shot-blocking phenom Dikembe Mutombo was seen preoccupied with stuffing carrots and potatoes in bags. Among the current stars in the endeavor included Washington Wizards guard John Wall and Miami Heat star three-time NBA champion and former MVP, Dwayne Wade.
Even NBA executives, like commissioner Adam Silver and Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, rolled up their sleeves and joined the endeavor. The program shows how the NBA's charity programs weigh heavily on the players and the head honchos themselves.
"It's really important because some of us come from communities and were once people in these positions," Ujiri said to Samaritan Mag. "Now that we've been put in maybe better positions and we have the opportunity to have the jobs that we have, we always have to give back and give opportunities to others. It's what I always preach, and I'm so proud of the NBA, and so proud to be a part of all of this."
