'A huge honor' to be playing on King holiday

For the Warriors, playing on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has special meaning.

"Anytime you play on a holiday, it's a big event," point guard Stephen Curry said. "Playing on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a huge honor. We want to pay tribute to a great man and to the things he stood for."

When Curry was in seventh grade, he and three other classmates performed King's "I Have a Dream" speech. A decade later, he'll be joined by some of his teammates in wearing a special black and gold shoe designed by Nike. The shoes are complete with a woodcut print design that pays homage to African heritage and a red, black and green logo that celebrates the coming of Black History Month.

Guard Monta Ellis made an And1 promo video for the holiday with the tagline, "Walk in his shoes. Ball in mine."

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day becoming a federal holiday, the NBA has 13 games. Four will be nationally televised, including Chicago at Memphis, where King was assassinated, and Sacramento at Atlanta, King's birthplace.

The NBA has been in the forefront on recognizing the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Four years before the first official observation of the holiday, the NBA was honoring the date. (President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983; the first time it was observed was in 1986.)

In 1987, the NBA canceled league meetings in Scottsdale because Arizona didn't observe the holiday. In 1990, the NBA told the Phoenix Suns there would be no league events in Arizona other than regular-season and playoff games without a King holiday.

"This day is huge, not only for what it means to minorities and for people of color in particular, but for everyone," coach Keith Smart said. "Anytime you get a chance to play a game in the NBA, it's special, but it means a little something more on a day that is this significant."

Showcase standout: Warriors guard Jeremy Lin, on assignment with the Reno Bighorns, was named to the All-NBA D-League Showcase First Team. Lin averaged 21.5 points, six rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals as Reno went 2-0 in the showcase.

E-mail Rusty Simmons at rsimmons@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle