http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf...5020.xml&coll=9 J-Rich has a huge heart, and i've read about him doing things like this for years now. here's the whole article if you dont want to click on the link: Jason Richardson pulls holiday surprise on families Friday, December 23, 2005 BIRMINGHAM -- Jason Richardson always was giddy on Christmas Day, even when the times were tough. As one of six children raised by a single mother in Carrollton Township, the former Arthur Hill High School basketball standout-turned-NBA-star used to wake up at 4 a.m. with his older sister yelling, "Wake up, it's Christmas!" One Christmas moment stood out. Advertisement "I remember going through a rough time in life where we couldn't afford too much stuff," Richardson remembers. "I really wanted a drum set when I was 10 or 11 years old. All my brothers and sisters, they got everything they wanted. I got a few things that I wanted, but not that drum set. I started pouting, doing what kids do. "Ten minutes after opening gifts, everybody's playing with their toys, and my mom asks, 'What's wrong with you?' I was mad, and she asks me to go to the kitchen and grab her house shoes. "I go in the kitchen, and there's a drum set right there. I just start screaming, going crazy. I jumped on that drum set and just went crazy."%0 The 24-year old encouraged the youngsters to rip through the shiny wrapping paper, where action figures, video games and T-shirts waited. Autographed posters, pictures with the two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion and tickets to tonight's Warriors game against the Detroit Pistons finished the parade of offerings. Advertisement "I haven't seen a smile on my son's face like that in some time," said Edwards, a 35-year old single mother. "I couldn't believe it when the Hummer rolled up to the house. Then he gives my family these gifts. Everything's been so surprising." Her oldest son, 15-year-old Anthony Edwards, received a Game Boy, T-shirt and an alarm clock. The trip, however, also provided a lasting memory. "My family needed this chance to get away," said the student at Saginaw Township's Mackinaw Academy. "Even if we didn't get anything, this trip was so cool. "When I get back home, I'm fittin' to brag to all my friends. Then I'm going to the game (tonight), and I'm going to brag again." Richardson's act wasn't for bragging rights. While most NBA players are involved with charitable events -- and the cameras are always rolling -- this act felt genuine. Richardson loves kids. That's a trait he picked up from his mother, Elaine Richardson-Cook and Richardson's grandmother and brothers also were there to hand out gifts, thankful he was back with family for the holidays. His thoughtfulness was
I really like how Richardson has improved as a person. He always was a good guy, but he always managed to hang around with not-so-quality people in his first few years. He almost got shot in his first two summers, and he boycotted practice with Arenas. But, lately, I haven't heard anything bad in his off court. Both on and off the court, you really can't complain how he improved himself...
He's one player I wouldn't trade for anybody. His continuous improvement, will to win, and personality are qualities every player should have.
