TNT Charity Basketball Game
TNT Charity Game | Sept. 12, 2005
An audience of 11,416 fans, supporters, and Houston-based evacuees witnessed basketball’s finest hour at the NBA Players Hurricane Relief Game held Sunday, September 11th at 6 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. The charity event, organized by TNT basketball analyst and former two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets Kenny Smith, raised over $1 million for displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Attendees were treated to a pre-game show by the legendary Harlem Globetrotters, as well as a surprise performance from Grammy Award-winning recording artist Kanye West. Dallas Mavericks forward Jerry Stackhouse performed the national anthem on his saxophone.
The game was televised commercial free on TNT Sunday evening at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
Participants in the NBA sanctioned game donated a minimum of $10,000 each and prior to the game, personally distributed truckloads of goods and supplies to evacuees at the Reliant Center, Houston Convention Center, and four local Houston, TX shelters.
The list of participating NBA players includes: Derek Anderson (Houston Rockets), Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards), Ron Artest (Indiana Pacers), Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons), Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Steve Francis (Orlando Magic), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves), Al Harrington (Atlanta Hawks), Mike James (Houston Rockets), Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), Dahntay Jones (Memphis Grizzlies), Damon Jones (Cleveland Cavaliers), Rashard Lewis (Seattle Supersonics), Tyronn Lue (Atlanta Hawks), Stephon Marbury (New York Knicks), Tracy McGrady (Houston Rockets), Cuttino Mobley (Los Angeles Clippers), Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers), J.R. Smith (New Orleans Hornets), Jerry Stackhouse (Dallas Mavericks), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns), Maurice Taylor (Houston Rockets), and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).
Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) served as head coach for the Eastern Conference team, while Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson, a New Orleans native, coached the Western Conference team.
The West team won the game 114-95.
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