About 99 percent of the time, fans see only one side of athletes - the side that they see during games and via media interviews.
That's what makes events like Josh Howard's second annual Celebrity Bowling Night on Saturday so much fun.
Take these world-class athletes out of their comfort zone, and things get a lot more interesting.
And they talk just as much trash when bowling as they do in 3-point shooting contests. Take, for instance, Jason Kidd's assessment of the Maverick's top (and bottom) bowlers.
"We know Dirk isn't that good,'' said Jason Kidd. "He spends too much time in the gym.
Josh probably has three or four bowling balls and takes this seriously. So he would be the 'A' player. The rest of us would just fall in line.''
But getting away from basketball is a treat for the players and coaches, especially when it supports a good cause.
"Anytime you can come support your teammate in any event, it's always a good thing,'' Kidd said. "Outside of basketball, it's fun to raise money for charity. And kids get to see us trying something different and interacting.''
Howard was bouncing around the 300 Bowling Center in Addison, chatting with people, thanking teammates for their participation and practicing up on his game - his bowling game.
"Last time I bowled, I won Chris Paul's little tournament back home,'' he said. "So I know I still got the game. They're competitive about it. And they were kind of mad about it when I won.''
The Josh Howard Foundation is geared mostly to help out kids. A lot of them were on hand for Saturday's event, hanging around the Mavericks, getting autographs and playing all the arcade games they could get their fill of.
"My main focus is the children,'' Howard said. "I do Bingo nights back home every Thursday for the adults, but I try to help out the kids as much as I can.''
Coach Rick Carlisle, by the way, showed some serious promise on the lanes, decked out in his own bowling shoes and his own ball.
As they say in the NBA, he looked good getting off the bus, but couldn't come up with the preferred results. He elected not to divulge a score.
"Not great, it was disappointing, but it was fun,'' he said. "It wouldn't be a real score. I missed a turn one time and my 8-year-old nephew took my turn once.''
--Eddie Sefko
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