The 2019-20 NBA schedule has been kind to the Houston Rockets over the week of Thanksgiving, including on Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day.
The Rockets are in the midst of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center this week, with two days off in between games on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday. That break allows the Rockets to have both a practice day (Friday) and a true off day (Thursday) between games.
Since the Rockets will be in San Francisco on Christmas Day to face the Golden State Warriors, the team’s players and coaches undoubtedly appreciate this rare in-season opportunity to spend one of the two major end-of-year U.S. holidays at home with family and/or friends.
Best of all, because all three games this week are in Houston, the team hasn’t lost any time due to travel. That’s allowed them to not only spend time with loved ones at home, but also to give back to the broader community with a series of charitable events.
Here’s a roundup of what the organization’s key stakeholders have done across Houston this holiday week.
James Harden
James Harden at his eighth annual Harden Family Foundation Thanksgiving event. pic.twitter.com/EPtATGuvxs
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) November 26, 2019
James Harden joining with his mother & his foundation to provide a Thanksgiving meal for about 250 people at N.Main Church of God & Christ.James says moments like this help him get away from the grind of the season:”I’m a little banged up right now & I don’t even care about that” pic.twitter.com/siC3uFoGJG
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 26, 2019
Mike D’Antoni
Mike D’Antoni & wife Laurel hosting their 3rd annual Thanksgiving dinner for families who reside at Corder Place Apartments which provides housing for homeless families. D’Antoni’s organized the dinner in conjunction w/ Homemade Hope which helps with children at homeless shelters pic.twitter.com/K526q0cgVf
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 27, 2019
Mike & Laurel D’Antoni hosted their annual Thanksgiving dinner at Corder Place Apartments which provides housing for homeless families. It gets Mike away from the grind of the season:”It minimizes our problems..b/c we don’t have problems.We’re lucky to have the jobs that we have” pic.twitter.com/M2GroyVjRq
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 27, 2019
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) and his Why Not Foundation in action as Russell hosts his inaugural Houston event and helps serve dinner at the Jim & Barbara Morefield Boys & Girls Club (Sunnyside). Russell played basketball at a Boys & Girls Club while growing up in LA. pic.twitter.com/MICY76ygl2
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 26, 2019
Russell Westbrook (@RussWest44) helps serve dinner at the Jim & Barbara Morefield Boys & Girls Club (Sunnyside). This is the first Houston charity event for Russell and his Why Not Foundation. Russell played basketball at a Boys & Girls Club while growing up in LA. pic.twitter.com/0ICnSRNdnt
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 26, 2019
Russell Westbrook (@RussWest44) helped serve dinner at the Jim & Barbara Morefield Boys & Girls Club. 1st Houston event for Russell and his Why Not Foundation. Russell played basketball at a Boys & Girls Club while growing up in LA: “It was always a place I learned so much from” pic.twitter.com/t9l9iODrLw
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 26, 2019
Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) on giving back to the community, touching lives: “I’d do it every day if I could.” pic.twitter.com/LQgrLnTs9k
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 27, 2019
Danuel House Jr. and Gerald Green
Ben McLemore
The Rockets return to practice Friday and then to game action Saturday versus Atlanta, in what will be the debut of their new City uniforms and the “Space City Saturdays” theme for the remainder of the season.
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