How NBA {Players} And Teams Gave Back For The Holidays

This season the Celtics, Raptors, Bucks, 76ers, Rockets, Warriors, Clippers, Celtics, Pelicans, and Nuggets were the 10 teams chosen to play on the Christmas Day spotlight.

The opportunity to play on Christmas, when the NBA commands the most attention, is a big deal — and one Dwyane Wade wants to see turned into an All-Star like selection process to reward the teams off to the best start to the season. Beyond the chance to be in the national spotlight, the teams and players participating in the Christmas Day games (along with many others around the league) take the time to give back to their local communities during the holiday season, much like their community work around Thanksgiving. Here are just some of the many things these players and teams did — which you can see more of on the NBA Cares Twitter page.

The Celtics spent some time earlier this month at Boston Children’s Hospital, bringing gifts and visiting with the children.

Kyle Lowry hosted 150 people from Red Door Shelter, which provides housing for families in need, for a party at a trampoline park, along with a dinner and gifts. Lowry and Fred VanVleet also took local children on a shopping spree.

Bucks players took local youth from Silver Spring Neighborhood Center on a shopping spree at Kohl’s, and Khris Middleton hosted his 12 Days of Khrismas.

Josh Richardson of the Sixers took 10 children from TAPS, an organization that assists families of military members that have died, on a Reebok shopping trip. The Sixers also had a gift giveaway prior to their game against the Bucks.

Austin Rivers, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook each hosted events for local children with shopping sprees and dinner.

Stephen and Ayesha Curry gave East Oakland Boxing Association new equipment and gifts for their after school program, in partnership with Ellen Degeneres. The Warriors also provided gifts and visited with kids from the Oakland Public Education Fund and the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco.

Kyle Kuzma helped pack meals for senior citizens with Meals on Wheels ahead of the holidays, Anthony Davis held a shopping spree for 100 kids, and the Lakers hosted a holiday party for local kids.

Patrick Patterson and Rodney McGruder visited the Adopt-A-Family holiday event with gifts and dinner with the kids.

Pelicans rookie Jaxson Hayes had a Lego party for the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana and Lonzo Ball visited with kids from the Bridge School for a meal and provided them with gift cards.

Gary Harris of the Nuggets had kids from Joshua Tree, a school for children on the autism spectrum, out for a movie night and provided then tickets to future Nuggets games and sensory-friendly gifts.