"Most arrived by bus, though some walked from nearby neighborhoods. A few simply wiped the sleep from their eyes and ambled over from the chilly doorway they call home.

They were all ages and ethnicities, hundreds of folks in various degrees of health, from robust to partially disabled, lining up patiently outside the downtown Oakland Marriott seeking kind and simple gestures.

A hot meal for Thanksgiving. And maybe a winter coat.

Five floors beneath the Warriors facility atop the hotel, where the practice court sits dark and silent because of the NBA labor lockout, their starting small forward was strolling a large ballroom, mingling with the masses, a walking and smiling statement of generosity."