Harris, Iverson Classic team to help hungry
Breakfast given away at Binghampton center
Tony Harris and Iverson Classic cofounder Jai Manselle wheeled carts full of breakfasts packed in styrofoam containers across the street from Kings Drive in Grocery 2 to the Lester Community Center. Volunteers counted out 100 meals and placed them on a table under a tent so residents could stop by and get something to eat.
It was a proud moment for the former East High basketball star who went on to play at University of Tennessee. He recently moved back to Memphis from California to be part of moments like this.
“The question always arises, why did you leave L.A. to come back to Memphis?” Harris said. Like I tell everybody, ‘God is the reason why I came back to be a pillar in the community. To build back the people that are from my neighborhood. To give them something to hope for.’ ”
Harris is now an assistant basketball coach at East where he is the school’s all-time leading scorer. And when the Iverson Classic came to town, Harris got in contact with cofounder Bobby Bates, who helped set up the giveaway.
Bates also gave away pairs of exclusive Iverson Classic-themed Reebok sneakers to kids who came to the event.
He told a nine-year-old boy who came up to him to choose between a pair of white or black shoes. Bates explained that his brother died not too long ago and his brother’s favorite shoes were a pair of white Reeboks, just like the pair he handed to the boy.
The event was part of a weekend of giving back to communities in the Memphis area.
“Taking care of people in need, that’s the theme,” Bates said. “If we don’t do it, who will? Basketball is just the icing on the cake.”
Bartlett hosted a star-studded basketball showcase that featured JD Davison, the nation’s No. 1 point guard prospect, and four-star Memphis commitment Jordan Nesbitt. Former NBA players Tracy Mcgrady, Stephen Jackson, and Matt Barnes showed up to watch the games. Former Central star Amarr Knox, who recently transferred to Bartlett, picked up a scholarship offer from Memphis after scoring 37 points in the showcase.
A rally at the Memphis NAACP headquarters at 588 Vance Avenue is set for 11 a.m. Sunday. Jackson and former NBA all-star Rasheed Wallace are scheduled to attend, according to Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner, who is president of the NAACP’S Memphis branch.
Bates and Harris weren’t the only ones giving out food in Memphis on Saturday. The Team Max foundation, led by founder and philanthropist Gayle Rose, gave away 5,000 food baskets at the Mid-south Food Bank. The 45-pound baskets contained items to Christmas dinners.
“It’s just sad how urgently this year the food is needed,” Rose said. “People don’t have jobs and there’s always a big need in Memphis and 5,000 is just a drop in the bucket compared to what the need is, but we do the best we can.”
The foundation is named in honor of her late son. Max, who died in a car accident at age 19.
“He was all about this kind of service,” Rose said. “So Team Max is basically a volunteer kind of organization. Anybody can join, it’s really just a social media call. It’s all done in his memory.”