Donation yields trip with coach

Coach Mike D’Antoni was shadowed as if receiving Secret Service protection on the Rockets’ trip to Orlando, but the company he received was for a good cause.

Edward Laase ,are-tired aeronautical engineer, won a live auction at the SBP Disaster Relief agency fundraising event last month when D’Antoni and his wife, Laurel, helped raise $900,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Laase and his wife,

Lawanda, won the live auction item with a donation of $40,000, allowing Edward to shadow the Rockets coach on this trip. Lawanda, known to Rockets fans at games in Toyota Center for starring on the dance cam, joined her husband on the trip, though the prize was just for one.

“Coach D’Antoni is just so friendly,” Laase said. “He and I are hitting it off. He’s been so great. He’s telling me secrets. And the other coaches, B.G ( Brett Gunning) and coach (

Jeff) Bzdelik, have been totally open. The players have been so friendly.

“The players didn’t know me, but they know my wife because of the dancing. They know her. It’s everything I expected. And it was for a good cause — that’s No. 1.”

D’Antoni said he was happy to have Laase around, especially because of how much he helped a family rebuild.

“By his donation and the charity event, he was able to put a family into a new house,” D’Antoni said. “That’s huge. Little by little, we’re just trying to get Houston a little bit better.”