Mavs volunteers, NBA Legends help build house for Gulf Coast relief
By: Brian Feldt
See more pictures from the event!
It’s not everyday you see a house being constructed in downtown Dallas – much less a one being built by former NBA players in the middle of the AT&T Plaza on the south side of American Airlines Center.
Such was the case Monday afternoon, though, when volunteers from the Mavs staff teamed with NBA Cares, the NBA Players Association, TNT and Habitat for Humanity to build a house that would later be shipped to the Gulf Coast in relief of those devastated by hurricane Katrina in 2005.
NBA Legends such as Rolando Blackman, Spud Webb and Sam Perkins all assisted in the construction of a three bedroom, one bath house frame that was completed in a timely five hours thanks to the help of more than 20 Mavs employees who ditched their office supplies for a hammer and nails.
Blackman, who is considered as one of the greatest Mavericks of all-time, said the event was not only a lot of fun for himself but a great opportunity to help those in less fortune.
“What’s fantastic about this and why I am here is to support the NBA Cares program and Habitat for Humanity,” he said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News. “Some worthy family is going to get this home out in Mississippi and it’s a fantastic opportunity to join with the NBA, the player’s association, TNT and all the volunteers who are giving so much of each other. So it’s a lot of fun and we are all very proud to be a part of it.”
The house is the eighth home of 10 that will be built throughout the season and sent to families in the Gulf Coast region, who must rebuild their lives in the wake of Katrina. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 225,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people with safe, decent and affordable shelter.
Webb, a native of Dallas, said providing a helping hand in that matter was seemingly a no-brainer and wished he could do more.
“The easiest part, for me, to be here is because what else can you do besides give time and money to help people get back on their feet,” he said. “God blessed us with the ability to go out and do things and have care in our heart to care for people. It’s probably not even enough but it’s a good start where we can help out.”
As a nonprofit organization which seeks to eliminate poverty and homelessness from the world, Habitat has already teamed with NBA Cares to build seven houses in selected NBA cities – Dallas’ project was the eighth completed construction site – with two more to follow.
Perkins, who has worked on similar projects in other cities, said he was happy to participate in Habitat’s endeavor in Dallas, where he spent the first six years of his NBA career.
“I’m here for a reason – for Habitat,” Perkins said while taking a brief break from his construction. “I’ve done these before for the NBA. This is actually my first time to build something worth while and have my name on it.”
After a ribbon cutting ceremony, the frame of the house was taken down and loaded into a truck to be shipped to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to aid hurricane relief.
“With the volunteers, the NBA Legends and the Mavs staff coming out today, we really appreciate everyone who came out to help construct these walls,” said Norman Wilber, a representative for Habitat. “As you can see they are already starting to go up.”
