Did January feel like it lasted for about 145 days? Between getting back into the swing of things after the hoildays, harsh winter weather (there are no fewer than three fallen tree branches in my yard due to the raucous winter storm of this state), and general fatigue of life, it’s been a slog.
Luckily, the NBA has given us no shortage of moments that warm the heart. Here are three wonderful acts of kindness from around the league.
Russell Westbrook gifts a single mother a new car
Back in 2015, Russell Westbrook won the NBA All-Star Game MVP.
The grand prize for such an honor? A brand new Kia car.
Westbrook had already signed large NBA contracts by then. He didn’t need a new ride. So, he decided to gift the card to someone who did.
The star guard learned about Kerstin Gonzalez, a 19-year-old single mother of two who was about to attend college.
Westbrook gave Gonzalez the car and paid for the first year of her insurance and registration. It’s a pretty cool moment.
Jusuf Nurkić buys a family a house
A few years ago, Jusuf Nurkić learned about a family in his native Bosnia and Herzegovina who had undergone some tough times.
He contacted the nonprofit Pomozi, which runs Kickstarter-esque campaigns for families in need. Per Pomozi, here’s what the family was facing:
Jasmina, the mother, lost her leg due to a land mine ten years ago and takes care of her eleven-year-old son Adin who suffers from a heart condition. Edvin, the father, is a day laborer working to support the family. They lived in an old house without running water, a bathroom, or any furniture. They were sleeping on the floor.
Nurkić donated enough money to buy the family a new home.
In fact, he’s contributed to multiple campaigns over the years, usually as an anonymous donor. But Pomozi insisted on sharing this story since it’s so cool.
I dig it. What an awesome move.
Harrison Barnes, Justise Winslow, and Elliot Perry donate meals to families in need
When the pandemic hit U.S. shores nearly three years ago, the NBA was among the first to act.
Remember the order of operations: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson got sick, and then the NBA canceled its season. That’s when the seriousness of things kicked in.
The NBA players also acted swiftly in helping their communities.
Harrison Barnes and his wife Brittany coordinated with Sacramento nonprofits to feed vulnerable families and seniors for a month.
Former NBA player and tall socks man Elliot Perry and current player Justise Winslow donated 550 meals to Memphis Athletic Ministries to feed families.
I hope these NBA players inspire a little kindness for you today, too
This issue is presented by Craig Leener.
Lawrence Tuckerman is a fan of probabilities — well, any numbers and math, really. It’s an interest that goes hand-in-hand with his autism. It’s also how he met his best friend Zeke, who is off fulfilling his dream of playing basketball at the University of Kansas. Now Lawrence expects his life in Los Angeles to become even less social and more routine — just the way he likes it. He plans to finish high school as he pursues his own far-off dream of manning Earth’s first mission to Mars…
Then the improbable happens: Lawrence is recruited for a top-secret mission of cosmic proportions! The whole operation relies on him realizing the full potential of his 1-in-6-billion mind—without freaking out. The rocket-science math is a no-brainer, but is he made of the right stuff to manage the communication and cooperation of a team effort… without his best friend?
Grab There’s No Basketball on Mars at craigleener.com.
