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NBA Stars Giving Back For Christmas
10th annual Christmas with the Curry’s
Four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry is hosting his family’s 10th annual Christmas with the Currys holiday celebration. The 12 Days of Christmas with the Currys will begin on December 13 through Christmas Eve, consisting of 12 consecutive days of amazing surprise and delight moments around the Oakland/Bay Area. The foundation’s holiday giveback initiative will be surprising kids, families, local community heroes and organizations across the Bay Area.
The Warriors (unfortunately without Steph) take on the Grizzlies on Christmas Day at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
Marcus Smart Gets “Smart Carts” For Christmas
The Boston Celtics’ reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart is giving back to cancer patients through his YGC Foundation’s initiative “Smart Carts.” Smart, who watched his brother battle Leukemia and mother face bone marrow cancer, made hospital visits quietly as a rookie in 2014. After his mother died in September 2018, he hosted a private dinner for families staying in Boston Children’s Hospital’s patient housing. After noticing the monotony children faced confined to their hospital rooms, smart developed Smart Carts – a mobile charging station loaded w/ tablets and video game consoles designed to become entertainment hubs for hospitals. To date, 14 Smart Carts have been provided to nine hospitals.
Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics take on the Milwaukee Bucks at 5:00 p.m. ET on Christmas day on ABC and ESPN.
Christmas with Mikal Bridges
Phoenix Suns’ star Mikal Bridges has truly embraced the Phoenix community since his rookie season in 2018, hosting basketball camps, giving tickets to deserving families and working with organizations that support single moms. This holiday season he is hosting two events: The first on Dec. 3, when he is partnering with Helping Hands for Single Moms to sponsor their Christmas event in Phoenix; The second is on Dec. 17, when he is “adopting” multiple local families and treating them to a dream game night experience as an early Christmas present. As part of the experience, the families will go to dinner, receive hand-picked gifts from Mikal and his family and meet with him after the game.
Mikal Bridges and Phoenix Suns take on the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. ET Christmas Day on ABC and ESPN.
Ricky Rubio – “I Am Ready” Project:
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio is bringing his ‘I Am Ready’ Project to the U.S. ahead of the Holidays, which helps children with cancer prepare for radiotherapy treatments through virtual reality. A collaboration between The Ricky Rubio Foundation and Nixi for Children, ‘I Am Ready’ is an immersive experience led by a cartoon child named Nixi who takes the children through what the treatment will be like, the spaces they will visit, the machines that will be used and the noises that they will hear. I Am Ready is simple and accessible – a patient only needs a mobile phone and NixiKit, which includes a cardboard viewer, an activity booklet and a plush Nixi toy. Through his foundation, Ricky Rubio has already provided kits to hospitals in Spain, and is expanding the program to the US through his first collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic during the Holidays in December and Colorado Children’s Hospital in early 2023.
Danilo Gallinari and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation:
Boston Celtics star Danilo Gallinari heard heartbreaking stories of children going through cancer treatment and couldn’t imagine what it must feel like since he has a 2-year-old daughter. He immediately got involved with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, whose focus is on raising funds to help find cures for children with cancer. In December, Danilo will host a child with cancer and their family at a Celtics home game. He will also join teammates to visit the Boston Children’s Hospital on Dec. 20 to deliver holiday gifts and participate in cheerful activities.
Boston Celtics take on the Milwaukee Bucks at 5:00 p.m. ET on Christmas day on ABC and ESPN.
Tis The Season for a Bucks Christmas
The Milwaukee Bucks are spreading joy this holiday season and we have the highlights. Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton is back for his annual Khrismas celebrations. This year, the three-time NBA All-Star will host a movie night for foster families with Coalition for CYF in Milwaukee for his Khrismas Foster Family Movie Outing. Additionally, he will be providing gift baskets to families spending the holidays in the NICU and inviting some of the NICU dads to an open practice. Khris’ fellow Milwaukee Bucks teammate and Arkansas-native Bobby Portis will be adopting families in his hometown to take them on a Christmas shopping spree courtesy of his Foundation to pick out gifts and items that they need.
Milwaukee Bucks take on the Boston Celtics at 5:00 p.m. ET on Christmas day on ABC and ESPN.
