The NBA Gives Thanks

There are two NBA games on the docket for Thanksgiving day (Orlando plays Atlanta and Utah hosts Chicago), but pro ballers are just as busy off the court. Click the “More” button to check out what some of the NBA’s biggest stars like Ray Allen and Josh Smith are up to over the long holiday weekend…

Ray Allen

On Thursday, Allen will be providing a Thanksgiving meal for 275 families pre-selected by the Boston Center for Youth and Families. Allen’s Ray of Hope Foundation will serve these families with a full Thanksgiving dinner including a turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, russet potatoes, salad, green beans, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie and beverages.

Josh Smith

Smith will host a Nov. 25 charity dinner at Phillips Arena for My Sister's House, a battered women's shelter located in Atlanta. The invitation will be extended to the women and children of My Sister's House as well as the employees. Additionally, his mother, Paulette Smith - a cooking show host and gospel singer - is serving Thanksgiving dinner at Josh's house on Wednesday afternoon (as the Hawks have a game on Thanksgiving). She is inviting his teammates to join them.

Kenyon Martin

Martin helped the Denver Rescue Mission get one step closer to reaching their goal of collecting 6,000 turkeys by announcing a donation of $7,500 towards the annual turkey drive. Safeway will be on hand supporting K-Mart by donating an additional $2,500 to the Denver Rescue Mission’s turkey drive.

Steve Blake

He doesn't have a game on Thanksgiving so he, his wife and two sons will be able to spend Thanksgiving at his parent's home in Oregon with extended family and two of his three sisters. After dinner his parents will host their second annual "Neighborhood Thanksgiving Dessert Party" where more than 60 of their neighbors come to their house for dessert and drinks to tip off the holiday season.

Tony Allen

Allen is hosting a Thanksgiving event on Monday morning with a group of Timilty Middle School students. As an education major, Tony wanted to incorporate math and the life lesson of budgeting into his donation. Tony met with15 students from the school at a local supermarket to go grocery shopping for all the fixings of a Thanksgiving meal. He gave each student a budget of $100 and a budget sheet to keep track of what he/she is spending. The 15 students were made up of children living with single moms that are below the poverty line (eligible for free lunch at school).