Hooped Up

Although there have been appeals to U.S. athletes to address the involvement of the Chinese government in the crisis in Darfur, several players say they won’t respond. The Darfur region, located in western Sudan, has been engulfed in a devastating conflict for the last four years. Government troops and militia units called janjaweed have been battling rebels opposed to a government they say persecutes the non-Arab population. The government-backed janjaweed have targeted civilians. China is the major trading partner and supplier of weapons to the Sudanese government. Some players have filmed public-service announcements appealing for an end to the slaughter. “We are coming to play basketball,” LeBron James said. “We want to try and keep basketball and politics separate.” Teammate Dwyane Wade agrees. “It’s not about us making a stand or taking a position. It’s about us playing our position,” he said. “We are going into uncharted waters. It’s not our home. We are going to go over there and respect China. This is a business trip for us. We’ll let the politics take care of itself. That’s not for us to worry about. There might be some people that get into it, but that’s not my focus. I’m focusing on basketball.” That decision will be solely theirs to make, Coach Mike Krzyzewski said. There will be no muzzle ordered from above.

Los Angeles Times

During a visit to Saloon last summer, Charles Barkley asked Christian Abate how he was enjoying teaching, and was disappointed to learn that Abate had still not returned to Temple because of problems securing financial aid. Abate, 28, of South Philly, started at Temple in 1997, months after graduating from St. John Neumann High. Sir Charles told Abate he would like to help him with his tuition, and Abate wasn’t sure how to respond. Barkley didn’t give him much time, telling Abate that he had the length of Barkley’s meal to decide. Abate wisely accepted. Barkley says that helping Abate is in line with his efforts to aid in education, which has been important to him in recent years. Barkley’s given $1 million to his Alabama high school Leeds, another million to Corningstone High, in a poor area of Birmingham, and $1 million to Auburn University, where he played before being drafted by the Sixers in 1984.

Philadelphia Daily News

Here are some highlights from the Steve Nash Showdown @ Chinatown Soccer Match in New York City yesterday.  The event was for charity and it looks like everybody had fun at this positive event.  I wish I could have made it.  Below are a list of Steve Nash’s friends that showed up.  What a list!

Steve Nash
Thierry Henry
Jason Kidd
Baron Davis
Leandro Barbosa
Juan Pablo Angel
Claudio Reyna
Jozy Altidore
Robbie Fowler
Steve McManaman
Raja Bell

Hooped Up

Several NBA players, and some of the best soccer players on the planet — will be playing a soccer game tomorrow afternoon in New York City to raise money for charity.

It’s free and open to the public. It will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Nike Field in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The game is just off Chrystie Street (between Rivington and Stanton Streets) south of Houston.

Among those expected to participate are Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, Joakim Noah, Thierry Henry, Claudio Reyna, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, Jozy Altidore, Juan Pablo Angel, and Gregg Berhalter.

What Stein’s story does not mention, however, is that Marc Stein himself will be playing. He’s a die-hard soccer fan who plays regularly.

He has a tactic in mind to look good in such a high-level game: Stay close to the NBA players like Kidd and Davis who did not grow up with the sport.

Davis, however, reportedly wants to get around his inexperience with his feet by playing goalie.

ESPN

If you would like to make a donation click here or visit aidstillrequired.org/darfur to get involved.

If you would like to make a donation click here or visit aidstillrequired.org/darfur to get involved.

If you would like to make a donation click here or visit aidstillrequired.org/darfur to get involved.

Charles Barkley is headed back to the tables in Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament about a month after pledging not to gamble. He says it’s all for charity. The former NBA star is scheduled to play in a celebrity poker tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker on July 2.

The “Ante Up for Africa” event is designed to raise money and awareness for the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. More than 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since ethnic warfare began in 2003, according to the U.S. presidential envoy to Sudan.

AP

If you would like to make a donation click here or visit aidstillrequired.org/darfur to get involved.

If you would like to make a donation click here or visit aidstillrequired.org/darfur to get involved.