Martin, Karl Moved by Events in Haiti

DENVER -- You probably think Kenyon Martin would run over an old lady in a crosswalk and then claim it was a blocking foul on her.

OK, so maybe Martin only would do that if the old lady was in the paint in front of the basket.

Really, though, Martin, the tough guy for the Denver Nuggets who is most known by some for picking up flagrant fouls and technicals, is different than you might think.

Off the court, he's a compassionate guy. Honest.

He's got the Kenyon Martin Foundation, a charitable organization that helps underprivileged youth and single mothers. And before last Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, he vowed to donate $1,500 for each rebound he grabbed to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

It was good timing. Martin, who has been on a rebounding tear while averaging 12.1 boards over his past 14 games, pulled down 14. Total donation: $21,000.

"I'm just trying to do anything I can do to help,'' Martin said. "I'm in a position where I can help. So why not? I did it for the (Indian Ocean) Tsunami (in 2004). I went down to New Orleans and did stuff after the tragedy (Hurricane Katrina in 2005). I'm trying to help.

"I don't do stuff to look for recognition. I just do it because I'm a good-hearted person. If people recognize it, great. But, if not, I'm going to continue to do it.''

"It's a tragedy. The island was not probably prepared for something like that, and it showed. I want to do all I can do to help and other people should."
-- Kenyon Martin Many NBA players have donated to Haitian relief. But the tragedy really hits home when a rough-and-tumble guy like Martin is emotionally moved when he watches images on television from Haiti.

It hits home even more when you hear how Nuggets coach George Karl is considering one day adopting a Haitian child.

Karl has been affected by the tragedy, which could result in a death toll of 200,000. But Karl wants to do more than just send a check.

Karl's daughter, Kelci, works in foster care in Seattle. Karl is contemplating joining forces with her to come up with a situation in which Haitian children are adopted and placed in American homes.

"She and I have talked about expanding maybe a charitable situation where you can bring kids here and getting involved with finding homes for them,'' Karl said. "It might take two or three years if you bring 200 or 300 kids here.''

Would Karl, who also has an adult son in pro player Coby and a 5-year-old daughter in Kaci Grace, consider adopting one of those kids?

"It's been discussed,'' Karl said. "I don't know ... The thing that's heartbreaking to me is watching the fear on those (Haitian) kids' faces. It just makes me, 'Wow.' If my child looked like that, I would just crumble.''

Karl is trying to find some good in the disaster. And there has been plenty.

Numerous athletes have made donations to Haiti. The Nuggets on Saturday faced New Orleans, featuring star point guard Chris Paul, who has donated $61,616.61 in honor of his grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, who was murdered in 2002 at the age of 61. Paul has spoken about being well aware of such despair due to Hurricane Katrina having hit New Orleans two months after he was drafted by the Hornets.

"I'm glad to see some of our players are participating in just being in a humanitarian mentality,'' Karl said. "It's an incredible disaster ... I think history says that, if the human spirit participates in a situation, sometimes those things turn into a, I don't know, if the country comes out of it in actually a better place. But there's going to be many years (with) a lot of heartache and sadness.

"I think America is proud of the way our players but also our country has stepped forward. It's amazing at times what basketball players, what the rock stars do, even the human public of $10 donations, the amount of money that's raised.''

Those in the NBA have the wherewithal to do a lot. Martin has a base salary this season of $15.36 million.

Still, $21,000 isn't a bad donation. And Martin hasn't ruled out doing something else for Haiti.

"It's a tragedy,'' Martin said. "The island was not probably prepared for something like that, and it showed. I want to do all I can do to help and other people should.''

So there you have it from Martin, people. Donate to Haiti or he's liable to elbow you in the gut or take you out with hard pick.

OK, maybe not. Off the court, he'd surely ask nicely.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter@christomasson