Sacramento Kings rookies De’Aaron Fox and Justin Jackson share a bond outside of their 2017 NBA draft class: They’re both from Houston.
De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson to play in Hurricane Harvey charity game
Fox and Jackson share Houston roots.
After Hurricane Harvey ravaged parts of Texas and left several neighborhoods flooded, both Fox and Jackson plan to return to Houston, according to ABC 10’s Sean Cunningham, to play in a charity basketball game that will raise funds for disaster relief.
The pair of Kings rookies spoke about Hurricane Harvey in an Aug. 30 press conference
Jackson: “To see highways that I know both us drove a ton of times, and to see those underwater and to see houses and streets that we’ve been around growing up all the time, to see those underwater; it was pretty unbelievable.”
Fox: “Even before this happened, people in Houston support each other all the time. That’s just how it’s always been. That’s how it’s been since I moved there. It’s not surprising but you’re still moved by it just because you see the community coming more together than they were before.”
Hurricane Harvey has killed more than 38 people, according to The New York Times’ latest updates, while tens of thousands of people are cooped up in overcrowded shelters. Meanwhile, the disaster’s aftereffects continue: Explosions were reported at a chemical plant just outside of Houston, the city of Beaumont lost its water supply, and evacuation orders were issued in several neighborhoods where new flooding is expected.
Professional sports teams and athletes have come together to do what they can.
The Rockets initially donated $4 million to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts before owner Leslie Alexander bumped his pledge to $10 million. The Kings announced that they, along with fans and corporate partners, contributed $100,000 to the American Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. Texans defensive end J.J. Watt blasted past his $500,000 goal and is now on pace to pledge $10 million for hurricane relief, including donations from Chris Paul, Ellen DeGeneres, Miley Cyrus, and a $1 million contribution from Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk.
Houston Texans owner Robert McNair pledged $1 million with a match from the NFL, and the Houston Astros are donating $4 million.
The list goes on, with Ezekiel Elliott, Mike Trout, Leonard Fournette, and Jay Bruce each making their own contributions.
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