December 17, 2008 1:15 AM

Busy holidays for Nuggets players

By Chris Tomasson
Rocky Mountain News

The most logical question is: Which Nuggets players aren't involved in holiday community activities?

The Nuggets are working overtime during the holidays this season. We'll see if they have time to get in a practice

The Nuggets' giving season gets underway Wednesday when guard Chauncey Billups plays host to 20 families of children from Steadman Elementary School at Hiawatha Davis Rec Center in Park Hill. That's Billups' old stomping ground.

Billups purchased $3,000 worth of toys and will transform the gym at Hiawatha Davis into a holiday toy story. Each family will receive $100 in "Billups Bucks'' and have the opportunity to exchange them for gifts for all the children in attendance.

Word is "Billups Bucks'' are doing much better these days than the Canadian dollar.

Also, each family will receive a $100 gift card from King Sooper's.

On Thursday, lots of Denver players will spring into action. Forward Carmelo Anthony will hold "A Very Melo Christmas'' at the Pepsi Center.

Anthony and the Carmelo Anthony Foundation will play host to children from Cotton Creek Elementary, The Lowry Family Center, Focus Points, Cross Community Coalition, Four Mile Family Resource Center. The youngsters will decorate cookies, participate in arts and crafts and can have their pictures taken with Anthony, team mascot Rocky and members of the Nuggets' dance team.

At Lakewood's Gold Crown Fieldhouse on Thursday, Nuggets players Chris Andersen, Steven Hunter, Linas Kleiza and Nene will join team chef Mike Osterman in playing host to 40 students from Kearney Middle School. In an effort to help them stay fit, the kids will learn about making healthy holiday snacks. They also can shoot some hoops with the Denver players.

Also on Thursday at Macy's in the Cherry Creek Mall, there's Marcus Camby's "Cambyland Christmas.'' Uh, make that J.R. Smith's "Cambyland Christmas.'' With Camby having been traded last summer to the Clippers, the Nuggets guard will pinch hit for the fifth year of the event.

Fifteen underserved youngsters from the Cope Boys and Girls Club will spend the afternoon with Smith at the store. On behalf of Camby, each child will get a $250 Macy's gift card to buy presents for their families. The children also will get replica signed Camby jerseys.

Of course, there's always the fear they could turn into Clippers fans.

As far as Nuggets players who aren't involved in holiday community events, it doesn't appear as if Sonny Weems and Cheikh Samb, who are on assignment with the NBADL's Colorado 14ers, have been booked. But there's still time.

Posted by Chris Tomasson at 1:15 AM | Comments (1)