Originally appeared on Vype.com
A celebrity basketball game presented by Ikhor is an event you want to make sure you let your kids attend in the future.
Over the weekend, Ikhor hosted a free celebrity basketball game in the heart of 5th Ward at the legendary J Prince Gym.
In the celebrity game, you had neighborhood legends, collegiate players, and international superstars that all grew up from around the area representing Rap A Lot Records and 1501 Certified.
While Houston’s streetball legends like The Goat, Sir Isaac, and Konfuzion are names worthy to come out and see, the celebrity game was serving a deeper purpose than just watching superstars put on a show.
“This is all about getting the kids off the street,” William Fawell, founder of Ikhor said.
Being a Houston native, Fawell understands that if there are no free and positive activities in the community for kids to participate in, they can easily fall into trouble by hanging out in the streets.
The beauty in what the celebrity game was able to do is not just get younger kids to come in and watch the game, but it also gave high school athletes from around the city a chance to come in and compete against each other.
“It feels good to be a part of this,” Ronald Harleston, a guard from Madison High School said. “It’s nice for these superstars to come out and put on a free show for the kids.”
In addition to getting kids off the streets, the Ikhor celebrity game has an endless amount of career choices for the kids to be exposed to.
Once the kids enter the gym, they have a chance to take interest in everything that makes up the Ikhor brand such as photography, videography, fashion, and of course basketball.
While everyone may not be talented enough to play basketball in the future, getting kids to see a variety of career choices in their own community is something Fawell believes is extremely valuable to young minds.
“I believe the mind is a terrible thing to waste and it’s also the most powerful part of your body,” Fawell said. “It’s great for the kids to see the different things they can do because they’re the future.”
The word Ikhor (originally spelled Ichor) means the blood of the Greek gods which is something you can’t kill and as Fawell continues to grow Ikhor, he plans to not let anything kill his desire to inspire the minds of the future.
C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson found themselves in the same spot when they met in Week 2 last season.
Both quarterbacks were top-five draft picks, lost their season openers and seemed to be facing a steep learning curve.
Richardson won Round 1 in Houston, although he didn't finish the game.
Stroud took Round 2 in Indianapolis with the injured Richardson watching from the sideline as Texans clinched the AFC South title and Stroud locked up his runaway selection as NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Sunday, each QB begins his second pro season — with a lot still to prove.
“I’m excited. First official game back with my guys and my teammates,” said Richardson, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last October. "I want to win. So, whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m going to do it.”
Winning a season opener certainly would be a welcome change for a franchise that last started 1-0 in 2013. The 10-game winless streak is easily the NFL's longest active streak.
But that's just a start for Richardson.
He needs to improve his accuracy after completing a pedestrian 59.5% of his throws in 2023 and must demonstrate he can finish games. He missed 13 last season and only finished one of his four starts because of an assortment of injuries, including the concussion that knocked him out of that Week 2 matchup at Houston after he ran for two scores.
Stroud, meanwhile, is coming off one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history.
He became just the third player in a half-century to lead the league in yards passing per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6 to 1), won a playoff game and made hist first Pro Bowl appearance.
How can he improve on a season like that? By showing last season was a building block — not a fluke. He has a stronger supporting cast, too, with Joe Mixon, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, and Stefon Diggs, who has four straight 100-catch seasons, now in the mix.
The long journey begins Sunday in Indianapolis.
“I want to just start fast,” Stroud said. “It doesn't have to do with a certain game, just in general this season. Last year, we started off really slow and just kind of had to build our way back. It's not an easy thing to do, so I would say this year we want to start fast.”
Nico vs. Colts
Houston receiver Nico Collins had two of his biggest games last season against Indy — catching seven passes for 146 yards and one TD in the Week 2 matchup only to outperform those numbers with a 195-yard day that included a 75-yard TD catch in Week 18.
He could play an even bigger role this time with Indy's young secondary trying to match up not only with Collins but also Diggs, Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz.
“Nico is a playmaker,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Every time I see him, he’s a true playmaker. So, you just have to get Nico the ball in any way, shape or fashion. Just find a way to get him the ball just to see how explosive and how dynamic he is.”
Taylor made
Injuries and a contract dispute prevented Jonathan Taylor from replicating the form he used to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Starting against the Texans could be just what he needs.
In six games against Houston, Taylor has rushed for seven TDs and 135.2 yards per game — his highest average against any team he's faced multiple times. And in that rematch with Houston in Week 18, he finished with 30 carries for 188 yards, the NFL's highest single-game total all season.
Confident Anderson
Houston defensive end Will Anderson, last season’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, will play Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury that limited his training camp snaps.
The No. 3 overall pick in 2023 had 45 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 1/2 sacks as a rookie. He expects to be even better this season.
“I’m way more comfortable,” he said. “Just going into Year 2 knowing the scheme better, knowing what to expect a little bit more and knowing what’s going to happen gives you more confidence.”
Pass rush
The Colts lost their 2023 sacks leader, Samson Ebukam, with a torn Achilles tendon during training. But they may have the perfect replacement.
Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player taken in April's draft, at No. 15 overall, and he's shown coaches that the moves he used to record 23 1/2 sacks over his last two college seasons can work in the NFL.
“We know that there’s going to be a learning curve there," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "We know there are going to be plays that we’re going to come in and say there were some good plays, and there were plays he wishes he had back — we understand that. But just his overall mentality and skill set, we’re very excited to see.”