What does starting and running a charity foundation really mean? Seems like every NBA player has started a foundation, all of them (from what I have read about them) have the same plan, are helping the same people, and are providing the same services. Holding sports camps, passing out turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas, hanging out with underprivileged kids from ’round the way are all important, but why does everyone maintain and execute on the same ideas?

Why not try a different way of helping? I had a crazy thought the other day…why don’t all these dudes pool their resources, and turn their attempt at public into something a bit more meaningful and useful? I feel bad saying this, since I am not doing nearly as much as these cats, but in my defense, I don’t have the same resources these guys do…but I do have an idea:

I can think of at least 10 different foundations that NBA players are running (Aaron McKie just threw his hat in the ring today). I estimate that at least 50 NBA players have their own foundation, or run some sort of charity event (I am probably under estimating, but since I am all about nice round numbers, this makes it easier for me to do the math in my head as apposed to digging for a calculator). Now imagine that each one has between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in funding. That gives us a total capitalization of about $37,500,000. Chump change right?

Ok, we have all this cash in the bank, now we hit the road, and hit up all the corporate sponsors we can think of. Between all the NBA players, and the kajillions of dollars they make in endorsements, I am sure they can negotiate with these companies to throw some money towards this enterprise. Also, let’s not forget that there will be money coming in from other players and people and organizations in the form of donations. I might be over shooting, but I think we can match the initial capitalization, which leaves us with about $75,000,000.

Now we are talking business! If you can’t run something meaningful with that sort of bank, then you should be shot. Now, I am not saying I could, but if I had that money, I could definitely hire the person who could (we could try to lure on of the Princess Margaret or Sick Kids charity organizers).

Now, we have some momentum, people are out and about, there is mega buzz for this new organization (lets call it Millionaires Care), Chris Paul builds school in New Orleans, Bosh is facilitating reading workshops in Jane and Finch, the whole of south central LA is conducting a rendition of “Give peace a chance” while Kobe strums the guitar, Mutombo is taking the vitals of all the patients at the West Houston Medical Center and Stephon Marbury develops a dope looking shoe for 15 bucks.

Imagine, everyone wearing the same t-shirt, the same 3 carat diamond earring, sporting the same 15 dollar running shoe, rocking $95 Nike capris. All accessorized with a Sony Mylo, an Archos media player and a slick looking Nokia cell phone.

The shareholders of Nike, Gatorade, Sony and Nokia are elated at the prospect of the diversification these businesses have shown with their partnership. The RIAA even stepped up and donated $3 million worth of licensed songs in an effort to develop the official soundtrack of this movement.

All that is left is for Michael Curry to show what got him to the NBA (sure as hell wasn’t his game) and round up the troops, and make a run at the leadership of this organization. Sounds like a winning formula to me.

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