Lockout slows NBA players’ charity events

If it’s late September, it must be charity-event time in the NBA. At least, it usually would be—players would be flocking back to their teams’ cities and the charitable foundations of their teammates would be humming with get-togethers and fund-raisers. But one of the consequences of the league’s lockout has been a reduction in those kinds of events.

As one agent said, “There isn’t as much of an appetite for that right now. There’s too much uncertainty, you can’t work with the team to help with arrangements, the costs of bringing in players from all over are prohibitive, and most guys want to hunker down until they see how things play out.”

Chris Duhon says that post-Labor Day, he typically sees more of his teammates. (AP Photo)
On Saturday in Orlando, Magic guard Chris Duhon will host a charity bowling event to benefit Families in Transition, with proceeds going to homeless children in the Orlando area. Two of his teammates—J.J. Redick and Quentin Richardson—will definitely be in attendance, Duhon said. But in a normal September, much of the team would show up

“It’s kind of tough now just with the uncertainty of us having a season, so guys are kind of in new routines and doing their own things,” Duhon said. “I mean, the hard part is being able to get the participation of your teammates you’d normally get. I know if we had a season starting on time, guys would be in town and a lot of the guys would be willing to go and show up. But without that, not knowing when we’re going to start and guys doing their own thing, trying to figure out their situation, it is kind of hard as far as participation goes. I can see where it is hard.”
Besides the potential loss of paychecks and the cancellation of summer leagues, one of the ways that the lockout will most affect players is simply by breaking their offseason routines.

Whether it’s on-court work or off-court bonding, the longer the lockout drags on, the more impossible it gets for teams to re-create their usual offseasons.

“It’s definitely a little different, because usually after Labor Day, that is when you start to head back toward the team and start to work out with the guys,” Duhon said. “But it’s hard not to have that access and not to be around the guys for that long of a time.”

But the Magic will, at least, attempt to get themselves together in the coming weeks, according to Duhon. Point guard Jameer Nelson is arranging for the team to get together and work out next week in Orlando, and center Dwight Howard is hoping to do the same thing the following week.

“We’re trying to go about our business the right way and get together,” Duhon said.