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Chris LaRoche doesn't have any clothes, toys or a place to go home to, but on Sunday the 12-year-old's dream came true when he played basketball against LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Ron Artest and a host of other NBA stars.
LaRoche and about 1,100 other Hurricane Katrina evacuees living in Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center got a morning visit from about a dozen NBA players in town for an evening charity game.
"I can't believe it," LaRoche said, a huge grin on his face. "I was guarding LeBron. It was so crazy."
James and the other players spent about 90 minutes playing with kids, signing autographs and greeting fans.
"Hopefully we can put some smiles on their faces and maybe for just that little moment they cannot think about what happened," James said.
TNT basketball analyst Kenny Smith organized the game at the Toyota Center. Participating players will donate money and supplies valued at more than $1 million to aid Katrina victims.
The players milled through rows of air mattresses as children spotted them and excitedly ran to get autographs, clutching any scrap of paper they could find.
"They're huge," Dayvon Bell, 11, said after getting an autograph and a very high five from the 6-foot-11 Garnett. "It's so cool."
Bell and his mother, Tema Knox, were at the convention center with 19 other relatives who escaped New Orleans. She doesn't know the status of her home and said this has been the most stressful time of her life.
"Anything that will make my kids happy even for a minute I'm all for," Knox said. "It means so much for these players to make time for the kids."
Garnett also showed love to one of the smallest victims, signing the shirt of a sleeping infant girl with a fat purple marker.
"It's about showing a sign of unity," Carlos Boozer said. "Us as black folks are joining together with a strong bond to help these young people."
While evacuees enjoyed seeing the players downstairs, the real fun began when the group moved to a third-floor ballroom that had been converted into a makeshift gymnasium.
The room was filled with three basketball goals, two pingpong tables and a soccer goal, and had hundreds of kids darting around. The players immediately joined in, with Garnett tossing a football to some teenagers and Billups shooting hoops with scores of other younger kids.
"I just wanted to do something that could help the kids," Artest said. "It's good to see people happy."
Stephon Marbury was much more upbeat than earlier in the week, when he broke down into sobs while announcing a donation of $500,000 to $1 million to Katrina victims. He laughed while tickling toddlers and playing pingpong with preteens.
James good-naturedly dribbled the ball away from about a dozen children, including LaRoche, before throwing up a shot that bounced off the rim.
"That's not fair. I was fouled," James shouted before breaking into laughter.
Marlaina Newman, who wiped a tear from her cheek while watching the scene, said it meant a lot to see the players.
"All the basketball players showing their love and support makes things feel a bit more comfortable and secure," said Newman, who finally found out Saturday that her parents were safe. "It's good to see that people still have love in their hearts for us."
LaRoche and about 1,100 other Hurricane Katrina evacuees living in Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center got a morning visit from about a dozen NBA players in town for an evening charity game.
"I can't believe it," LaRoche said, a huge grin on his face. "I was guarding LeBron. It was so crazy."
James and the other players spent about 90 minutes playing with kids, signing autographs and greeting fans.
"Hopefully we can put some smiles on their faces and maybe for just that little moment they cannot think about what happened," James said.
TNT basketball analyst Kenny Smith organized the game at the Toyota Center. Participating players will donate money and supplies valued at more than $1 million to aid Katrina victims.
The players milled through rows of air mattresses as children spotted them and excitedly ran to get autographs, clutching any scrap of paper they could find.
"They're huge," Dayvon Bell, 11, said after getting an autograph and a very high five from the 6-foot-11 Garnett. "It's so cool."
Bell and his mother, Tema Knox, were at the convention center with 19 other relatives who escaped New Orleans. She doesn't know the status of her home and said this has been the most stressful time of her life.
"Anything that will make my kids happy even for a minute I'm all for," Knox said. "It means so much for these players to make time for the kids."
Garnett also showed love to one of the smallest victims, signing the shirt of a sleeping infant girl with a fat purple marker.
"It's about showing a sign of unity," Carlos Boozer said. "Us as black folks are joining together with a strong bond to help these young people."
While evacuees enjoyed seeing the players downstairs, the real fun began when the group moved to a third-floor ballroom that had been converted into a makeshift gymnasium.
The room was filled with three basketball goals, two pingpong tables and a soccer goal, and had hundreds of kids darting around. The players immediately joined in, with Garnett tossing a football to some teenagers and Billups shooting hoops with scores of other younger kids.
"I just wanted to do something that could help the kids," Artest said. "It's good to see people happy."
Stephon Marbury was much more upbeat than earlier in the week, when he broke down into sobs while announcing a donation of $500,000 to $1 million to Katrina victims. He laughed while tickling toddlers and playing pingpong with preteens.
James good-naturedly dribbled the ball away from about a dozen children, including LaRoche, before throwing up a shot that bounced off the rim.
"That's not fair. I was fouled," James shouted before breaking into laughter.
Marlaina Newman, who wiped a tear from her cheek while watching the scene, said it meant a lot to see the players.
"All the basketball players showing their love and support makes things feel a bit more comfortable and secure," said Newman, who finally found out Saturday that her parents were safe. "It's good to see that people still have love in their hearts for us."
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