NBA Political Contributions

There's a fun little thing on Huffington Post that allows you to see who's giving what to whom. It lets you track donations by either name or address. I thought I'd try some NBA names and see who popped up. So far, Barack Obama is leading the race in the NBA. Here are the results:

Execs:
David Stern (Ruler): $4600 to Hillary Clinton
Billy King (Sixers): $4600 to Barack Obama
Jerry Colangelo (Suns): $2300 to John McCain
Robert Sarver (Suns): $2100 to McCain
Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics): $4600 to Barack and $2300 to Mitt Romney
Danny Ainge (Celtics): $2300 to Romney
James Dolan (Knicks): $2300 to Hillary
Magic Johnson: $2300 to Barack

Players:
Stephon Marbury: $2300 to Barack
Baron Davis: $2300 to Barack
Grant Hill: $2300 to Barack

Others:
Ahmad Rashad: $2300 to Barack
Arn Tellem (Agent): $2300 to Barack

A lot of the "superstars" - Kobe, Lebron, Dwyane, KG, AI, Tracy - haven't given anything. I wasn't surprised by that, but I thought I'd at least see Adonal "Democracy Matters" Foyle or Charles Barkley on the list. I was surprised to see Steph on there. Perhaps I've underestimated him.

There were 4 listings for Michael Jordan - 3 that couldn't be him and 1 that might. The one that might is retired from Washington DC and gave $2100 to Barack.

Anyway, try it out. It's kind of stalkerish in that it lists the address of the donor, too. So whether you're interested in politics or stalking, here's the tool for you.

The New and Improved Kyle Korver

I'm thoroughly enjoying Kyle Korver's transformation into the Angelina Jolie of the NBA. Not that he's out adopting kids from all over the world or anything, but in his commitment to charity work at home and abroad. When Kyle participated in Basketball Without Borders China in '05 (above, right), I thought he was doing it because he was relatively new to the League and well, David Stern made him. I figured it was a one-shot deal and then we wouldn't hear from him until he turned up in Page Six with Tara Reid. But since then, he's organized a coat drive in Philly and returned to BWB in Brazil (above, left). It's nice to know he's not just a pretty face.

Additionally, his teammate Sam Dalembert deserves major props. Not only in Sam participating in BWB Brazil, he's also going to the European camp in Paris afterward. Sam has also raised tens of thousands of dollars for his native Haiti. One thing we can say about the Sixers - there's a lot of character on that team.

Photo Source: NBAE/Getty Images

Basketball Without Borders: Brazil

The official "I'm in Brazil" pose.

The NBA's finest Brazilians - Anderson Varejao (Cavs), Nene Hilario (Nuggets), Leandro Barbosa (Suns), and Rafael Araujo (Jazz) - played host to their fellow players at the latest Basketball Without Borders camp. Some of the attendees included Samuel Dalembert (Sixers), Kyle Korver (Sixers), Shaun Marion (Suns), James Jones (Suns), Luke Walton (Lakers), and Sam Perkins (still alive).

I love the idea of BWB, as I've previously written here and here. But then again, I'm predisposed to like anything involving travel. I just think it's good for young, rich players to see parts of the world they may not otherwise have been motivated to go see, and they also get the benefit of seeing it from a native perspective. Plus, it's totally cool for the kids. One of the kids I met in France was telling me how he was totally excited to meet Boris Diaw this year. I told him not to forget the croissants. (I was thinking of the classic Mike D'Antoni quote from SI. When told during training camp that the French forward hadn't picked up a basketball all summer, D'Antoni quipped, "That didn't mean he had to pick up every croissant in France, did it?") Poor Bobo. It must be pretty tempting since he's a spokesman for La Mie Caline, a yuuuummy boulangerie, and for Kinder Bueno chocolate. Okay, maybe he just needs to rethink his endorsements.



Photo Source: NBAE/Getty Images

Stud of the Month: Kyle Korver

1. He's the NBA's latest heartthrob
2. He's going to All Star Weekend (albeit via the 3 point contest)
3. He hit the game winner over the Pacers
4. He got 1,446 people to donate coats for a chance to meet him.

5. He even got AI to rock one of the kids' jerseys he gave away.


It's good to be Kyle Korver.

Kyle Korver: All Heart

Finally - AI has a teammate who plays with as much heart as he does. I just watched the Sixers-Nuggets game (taped from Friday night) and the Backstreet Boy Wonder was everywhere. He chased down loose balls, sprinted back to make the block, just did all the grunt work that doesn't necessarily translate into stats but makes all the difference to the team and their fans. The Sixers ultimately lost the game to a more than elated Michael Cooper, but what stuck out most in my mind - aside from Coop's unprofessional high-5ing and whooping before the game was officially over - was Kyle Korver and how he left it all on the floor.

As impressed as I was during the game, I'm even more impressed now upon learning that Kyle's grandfather had just passed away.

In an interview today, Kyle said, "He's somebody I was pretty close to. It's tough. [Friday] was an emotional game. I obviously had him in my heart the whole time."

He played in today's game vs. the Clippers then flew out for the funeral (to be held tomorrow), but he said he'd be back for Wednesday's game against the Jazz. I think for all the shit that athletes, and NBA players in particular, have been getting recently, it's just as important to acknowledge examples of their professionalism and dedication to their team and to the game. This game may not go down like Brett Favre's 4 touchdowns against Oakland, but I appreciate the effort and the heart just the same.

Link to article on Kyle and his grandfather's passing:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/10553035.htm?1c