Memorial Day Charity Hoops

By Richard Diaz
Love of Sports Correspondent

To say that celebrities and athletes get an unfair shake in the media is an understatement.

All it takes is a minor slipup and “boom goes the dynamite!”

Rare is the occasion for two sides of a story to be delivered with equal veracity. For whatever reason, the arrest and accusations are worthy of being a breaking story, while the subtle apology from law enforcement is covered on television around 3:00am, just after softball highlights.

Another interesting tidbit is the genuine lack of interest in positive stories. Aside from an event that boasts a huge name on the marquee, it’s unlikely anyone will discuss it. This past weekend was a prime example of big-time athletes participating in an event that wasn’t full of glitz and glamour.

Draftpick, Inc. and Bulletproof Management joined forces to host a celebrity basketball game whose proceeds will help the very same area the game took place in. Rather than hosting this star studded event at the American Airlines Arena, it was held at the Lee R. Perry sports complex in Miami. This is the hardwood home of Bulls, but not of the Chicago or South Florida variety. This is home to the Northwestern High School Bulls, who just happen to be the best high school football team in the nation.

As Miguel Diaz, owner and operator of Draftpick Inc., described it “An event like this is for the community and its kids. In a time where money is hard to come by, we couldn’t have picked a better location to host something that’ll give the kids a chance to see some of their favorite athletes and celebrities up close.”

Aside from this event, Draftpick Inc. fields a youth baseball team that takes as much pride in honing athletic talent as they do in helping the kids develop skills that’ll come in handy when they’re not on the diamond. Members of Team Draftpick had the chance to shoot hoops with the celebrities before the 8th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Celebrity Basketball Game, and we can only imagine the stories they’ll be telling their classmates today.

Bulletproof Management compiled a star studded set of rosters that included actors, musicians and athletes. As pictured in their Draftpick Inc.-designed jerseys, two big-time NFL names were in attendance.

Edgerrin James and Chad Johnson took a bit of time from their offseason workouts to hoop-it-up for a worthwhile cause. And while Ocho-Cinco’s athleticism translated to the hardwood in a very entertaining fashion, it was Edge that received MVP honors at the end of the game. He nailed shots from all over the court and made sweeter passes than either of his starting quarterbacks, often hitting Johnson in transition for layups.

Here’s to giving up a bit of Love for a couple of guys that made hundreds of kids smile by doing nothing more than playing basketball. I know an athlete is more likely to receive praise for donating millions of dollars to a charity, but there’s also something to be said for donating their time when the cameras aren’t on. Even more so, it was a small celebrity game that didn’t garner the smallest bit of media coverage, yet they both did so with a smile.

Afterwards, they weren’t seen rushing to the locker room, either. Both took time to snap some photos with any fan or group of fans that stopped them, including the kids from Team Draftpick.

As a side note, it should be mentioned that James started his own foundation a while back that aims to improve the decision-making process of youth and young adults, thereby enhancing the quality of their lives and empowering them to make positive contributions to society. He had the “Edgezone” back in Indianapolis, which was a joint project with Reebok that provided 32 tickets to each Colts home game for underprivileged youths.

Ultimately, this is simply about spreading the Love to a couple of athletes that typically aren’t on the positive end of media coverage.

For more information on Draftpick Inc., please call (305) 827-2800.

For more information on The Edgerrin James Foundation, visit http://edgerrinjames.kcbsportsmarketing.com/.