Channing Frye- Multiple Sclerosis charity work

[Donatello]

Last year, I can't say that I gave a damn about the Knicks. I didn't even watch one of their games. So, admittedly, I didn't know much of anything about Channing Frye.

I've had a long lazy day so I've been looking at some players' homepages, and I stumbled across Frye's page. Turns out he has two relatives with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), and does lots of charity work with the MS Society.

My mom has MS (was diagnosed on my 16th birthday), and I know how difficult it can be.

Anyway, anyone else familiar with any NBA players' charity work that is close to their/your heart?

[Eugene]

I've been forntunate enough to avoid having my family members or friends suffer from terminal illnesses or other undesirable conditions/events, et al., but I think it should be noted that NBA players a doing a great deal for the community (global as well as local) in terms of giving back.

And for all the problems that the league is dealing with, the good things that the league does is not really being recognized. People soon forgot about Marbury's 15 dollar shoes, but as Rick Telander pointed out on his blog on ESPN, imagine you're a parent having to buy sneakers for Christmas--you wouldn't be happy?

(Marbury's current performance aside, these sneakers should be selling based on affordability alone, even it's not fashionable to be seen in Starburys)

And usually these philanthropic efforts are seen (cynically) as an effort to clean up the image of the NBA. And that's certainly true, to a degree. But that perspective misses the point that these NBA players are really out there really doing charity work, and it's really working.

I think this is a good opportunity, even if it's a bit sappy, to show appreciation for all the things that the players do off the court that effects the world outside of sports.