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Tom Orsborn: Bismack Biyombo was blown away by how many of his teammates and others in the organization attended his gala to raise money to ease suffering in the DR Congo: “It’s a different thing when you hear about the Spurs organization and when you experience it. They do things different. They show up.”
Several other players, including Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, showed up to support Biyombo. Others in attendance included coach Mitch Johnson and several of his assistants, general manager Brian Wright, franchise CEO R.C. Buford, Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt and Spurs shareholder Charlie Amato. Wembanayama was one of the first players to arrive. "I actually did not speak to Vic about this," Biyombo said. "I just sent (invitations out) in a group text message, and he just showed up. And the first thing he did was give me this big hug, a full of smile, and I got somewhat emotional and said, "Man, thank you.' ... But that's who Vic is, man."
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has pledged to cover the funeral expenses for 12-year-old Jada West, who was fatally injured in a violent school bus incident that drew national attention. “This story touched my heart the moment I saw it in the media,” said O’Neal, who’s serving as chief of community relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. “As a father, my heart goes out to Jada’s family. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and if there is anything I can do to ease even a small part of that burden, then it is the right thing to do. “Our community must surround this family with love, support, and compassion during such a painful moment.”
Dave McMenamin: “You go there and then you realize that you don't really have problems in your life at all. Health is a lot. It's the most important thing in life. So, you realize you don't have problems at all. So just having interaction with them yesterday, it was super, super amazing”
“You go there and then you realize that you don't really have problems in your life at all. Health is a lot. It's the most important thing in life. So, you realize you don't have problems at all. So just having interaction with them yesterday, it was super, super amazing” https://t.co/X491ExveJe
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 13, 2026
You haven’t heard much this NBA season about Strus, 29, because he hasn’t played. He is still fighting his way back from offseason surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot, and after months of waiting he is nearing a return that could happen within the next week. In the middle of last season — his second with the Cavs — Strus, along with his sister Maggie Sommer and best friend Jake Wimmer, formally launched the Max Strus Family Foundation. The foundation operates with a volunteer board, raises most of its money through camp registrations and a bowling fundraiser in Cleveland, and directs grants to youth sports programs, cancer organizations and mental health nonprofits in the cities Strus has lived in. The foundation is small — it distributed about $160,000 in 2025 — by design. Strus wants to know the people he’s able to help.
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“I don’t want to be somebody or our foundation as a whole doesn’t want to be a group that’s just like handing out money and you don’t hear from us again,” Strus said. “We want to be in it for the long run. Like we want to create relationships. We want to be impactful on people’s lives and be there as support.” When Strus was just making his way in the NBA with the Miami Heat, his coach Erik Spoelstra’s son went through a serious health scare. Spoelstra remembers Strus knocking on his office door. “When my son was sick, he stopped by my office,” Spoelstra said. “A lot of people just feel awkward. They don’t know what to say. He just wanted to offer support. And also said, ‘Hey, if you’re doing anything, I want to be part of it.’”
Spoelstra said the gesture didn’t surprise him. “You can see that Max just naturally thinks about other people,” he said. “So the fact that he’s doing this kind of work is not at all surprising.”
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office teamed up Wednesday to surprise a local teenager with a life-changing trip to see his favorite basketball team. Brandon Simmons, a former standout athlete at Union Grove High School, was greeted at his front door with the news that he will be traveling to Minneapolis to spend a weekend as a VIP with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The surprise took place at Simmons' home in McDonough on Wednesday morning. The 18-year-old was left paralyzed from the chest down following a devastating car accident where his vehicle flipped into a ditch. Doctors initially gave him only a 1 percent chance of survival.
When Lakers center Deandre Ayton peered through the glass and saw those kids, he smiled and shook his head before entering. He slowly walked down the line by each kid, doing his best to slap every hand or to at least make eye contact with them. This was a basketball clinic Ayton and his Ayton Family Foundation had been inspired to do in partnership with the NBPA, an event that the Jamaican and Bahamian Consulates aided by sending about 50 kids to participate in on-court activities and a dinner on behalf of Ayton and his family.
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“It fills me, for real, just seeing their smiles,” Ayton said. “And me being out there. You saw me going at it against one of them. He’s about 6-4 and he tried to get at me. I’m like, ‘Whoa … Whoa. Bro. I got to keep these legs strong.’ In about 10 years, they are going to be knocking me over. They are ready and I’m loving it and they so hip to the game and they know the terminology so I just loved it, man.”
The Minnesota Fastbreak Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Timberwolves and Lynx, has announced plans to provide $200,000 in funding to local organizations, including $150,000 in immediate support for trusted partners helping those impacted during this unprecedented and difficult time in our community. The initial grants will be awarded to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities, Greater Twin Cities United Way and Second Harvest Heartland. Each organization will receive $50,000 to distribute aid to the areas of our communities facing the greatest need. Following this round of grants, the foundation’s board will award two additional contributions totaling $50,000 to non-profits providing critical support in the community.
“At our core, the Timberwolves and the Lynx are about bringing people together through the power of sports,” said Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Matthew Caldwell. “At a time when unity and compassion matter more than ever in Minnesota, supporting nonprofits that are delivering critical resources is one way we stand with our neighbors in need and strengthen our community.” The foundation’s board has carefully reviewed and approved these grants to ensure funds support programs delivering measurable impact.
Redick has harnessed those emotions into purpose, collaborating with other Los Angeles leaders to create his charity, LA Sports Strong, and partnering with the nonprofit Steadfast L.A. to help rebuild the Palisades Recreation Center. He has met with builders, funders and civic partners. They have reimagined the rec center, with plans for fire-resilient buildings and 50,000-square feet of rehabilitated green and community space, protected by fire-resistant landscaping. On Jan. 8, Redick joined a fundraiser for the rec center, hosted at a home in the Palisades.