The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
LeBron James surprises kids with new uniforms
LeBron James surprised school kids in Toronto by giving them new team uniforms, a giveaway sponsored by James’ family foundation as a way of thanking this year’s NBA All-Star host city.
LeBron James crossed the Canadian border to dish out an All-Star assist.
The Cavaliers forward surprised school kids in Toronto by giving them new team uniforms on Thursday, a giveaway sponsored by James’ family foundation as a way of thanking this year’s host city for the NBA All-Star game.
The new uniforms for 23 teams from a variety of sports, including basketball, badminton, cricket, ultimate Frisbee, rugby and a special needs group, were unveiled during a fashion show at Earl Haig Secondary School. The teams from across the city were chosen by the LeBron James Family Foundation as a reward for sportsmanship and leadership.
James also brought student “ambassadors” from Ohio to assist in the giveaway and to volunteer for a day at Variety Village, an organization in Toronto providing programs to help disabled youngsters. The 23 Ohio students had never been out of the United States. The group was scheduled to see a play at the historic Royal Alexandra Theatre and a visit with James at practice.
James, who is a father of three, has done similar events at previous All-Star games.
“It means a lot to me and my foundation to be able to give back to every All-Star city, and in Toronto we wanted to do something special for some teams and groups that earned it,” he said.
Bosh is back
Chris Bosh sees no need to reflect on where he was at this time last year.
Physically, mentally and emotionally, he moved past it all long ago. The tubes stuck into the side of his chest, the fear of his life being in danger by the blood clot that attacked one of his lungs, the tests that would determine if his career could continue and the searing pain that accompanied each breath all are safely tucked away in the memory bank, and life as Bosh has known it formore than a decade has resumed.
A year after a blood clot gave the Miami forward the scare of a lifetime, Bosh is again an All-Star.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I know C.B. probably as well as I’ve known anybody that I’ve coached and I know his competitive character. You don’t ever want anything like that to happen to anybody in this league. The one thing you can take from it, though, is he has great perspective. I think we all can use that.”
Bosh is back at the AllStar Game this weekend, and as an added bonus he’ll do so in the city where his NBA career began. Only three players who will be taking part in Toronto this weekend Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have more All-Star appearances than Bosh, who has been selected for the league’s midseason showcase in each of the last 11 seasons.
He’s even taking part in the 3-point contest on Saturday night, not deterred in the least that at least one Las Vegas sports book lists him as the longest shot in the field of eight. So right now, he’s perfectly content looking ahead, not back at the diagnosis that came just days after last year’s AllStar weekend ended.
“I just put all that stuff behind me,” Bosh said. “Once I was free of it, once I stopped having pain, I was like, `Well, OK, I’m out the door and hopefully I won’t be back here again.’ I appreciate everything more, but that’s really it. We can always talk about it. I don’t mind talking about it, but personally I just walked away being thankful and leave it at that.”
Shaq wishes had farewell tour
Shaquille O’Neal says he wishes he could have had a farewell tour at the end of his career similar to the one former teammate Kobe Bryant is enjoying now.
O’Neal held court in Toronto before TNT’s popular “Inside The NBA” television show Thursday night as the NBA prepared to kick of its All-Star weekend. He reminisced about his time with Bryant, the Lakers star who is retiring at the end of the season.