Australian NBA Players Unite For Bushfire Relief - Inspiring Details Here
For weeks, the Australian forests have become a victim to fire. Reports have revealed that almost a billion species of both plants and animals are believed to have been wiped out by the bushfire.
However, just when people thought nothing good will come out of it, humanity surprises everyone with what can be done if everyone went out of their way to give.
An Effort To Give Back
The catastrophic bushfires in Australia right now have killed many, but it has also woken up the national spirit. Several NBA superstars are of Australian nationality, and they have stepped up to help out. These players have partnered up with the league's player's association (NBPA) to donate $750,000 in the relief efforts.
According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, players like Philadelphia 76ers point-forward Ben Simmons and San Antonio Spurs floor general Patty Mills are working with NBA and NBPA's foundation to give their contribution towards the relief efforts after the fires in Australia.
The @TheNBPA announces that nine Australian players, including Ben Simmons, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles, are partnering with the union's foundation and the NBA and will contribute $750,000 toward relief & recovery efforts for the fires in Australia: pic.twitter.com/oMLJnnj3F0 — David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) January 7, 2020
In the statement released by the association on Tuesday, they described the efforts as an initiative of Australian professional basketball players of the league. They said that it is through their contributions that the relief efforts of the association have started. The statement also included the full list of the nine Australian nationals that are part of the action.
The NBA athletes included Simmons, Mills, Aron Baynes, Ryan Broekhoff, Jonah Bolden, Dante Exum, Matthew Dellavedova, Thon Maker and Joe Ingles.
The Australian Bushfire
The outbreak and spread of fires that affected the Eastern portion have been hurting the country since last year. At the turn of the year, the problem has only worsened despite massive efforts to stop the fires.
The recorded high temperatures across the Oceanian nation has only made the situation worse. As a result of climate catastrophe, millions of acres of wildlife and large part of environment have been burned down to the ground.
The drought in Australia is undoubted an effect of global warming. Not only has it exacerbated the wildfires, but it has caused millions of residents to evacuate their homes and seek refuge somewhere else.
Last week, Ben Simmons took it to social media to express his feelings towards this devastating natural disaster happening in his home country.
In his post, he said that he was so sad about the loss that Australia is facing. He urged everyone to be brave yet kind. The basketball superstar hoped that everyone could be more compassionate through these extremely hard times.
View this post on InstagramI’m so sad by the loss our country is currently facing. The images of the raging fires, people, families, firefighters and wildlife are nothing short of terrifying. 12 million acres of land destroyed, human lives lost, animals being wiped out and misplaced with homes and communities in ruins and this number continues to rise daily. I am working with my family and calling on my Australian NBA brothers and any others that can, to do our part to help in this catastrophic disaster, not just for today but to support communities in their eventual rebuild when the fires have stopped. Australia is a strong and resilient country and I urge you all to be brave, kind and compassionate to each other through this extremely hard time. A post shared by Ben Simmons (@bensimmons) on Jan 3, 2020 at 11:08am PST
Simmons, along with his other colleagues in the league, have come together to contribute what they can to the relief efforts and help Australia recover from the loss.
More than anything, this is not the time to point fingers as to who or what led for the bushfires to grow as big as it did. Now is the best time to come together to put efforts on the relief to help everyone affected to start anew.
