Hurricane Harvey has been the dominating story in the country in the past few days as it continues to ravage the Texas coastline. Houston has been especially affected by the natural disaster with the death toll rising and many more losing their homes.
The NBA community has been involved in the relief efforts with multiple teams and players donating to different causes benefiting those affected by the hurricane.
However, one member of the NBA community was much more directly involved. Jonathon Simmons, a Houston native, was caught in the flooding with a lack of supplies. Fortunately for the Orlando Magic forward, he had a friend in the area who could help:
When the food supplies disappeared, Simmons knew that he had to get his family and friends to safety as soon as possible. Luckily for him, rapper Trae the Truth – a fellow Houston native – came to the rescue.
“Trae the Truth, the rapper, is from Houston and we know a mutual friend from San Antonio. They brought a boat to Houston because (Trae) had to evacuate as well,’’ Simmons said of the rapper, who has gained additional notoriety recently in Houston for helping dozens of others evacuate flooded areas. “They came and got (Trae) and then he came and got us right away. Luckily, I had a friend in the area who could help us out.’’
As it turns out, Simmons and his friends still had quite the treacherous trek to get to safety. But his plight paled in comparison to what millions of others are enduring while battling Houston’s flood waters.
“We still had to ride a boat, walk through muddy water and ride on the back of a dumpster truck for like five miles. It was crazy,’’ Simmons recalled. “I had to hold up my people and I had some kids with me. Most of the kids were old enough to walk, but one of them I had to carry with me.’’
