He can charm you with his smile, yet Chris Webber was chilling me with his stare. In the middle of our handshake, he held an extended, tight grip on my hand, glared in my eyes and growled: "Don't you make fun of my momma!"

I covered C-Webb during his days in Washington, and I knew he was joking. I would never make fun of his mom, or any of the other moms who put on an impressive fashion show during the Mothers of Professional Basketball Players (MPBP) annual meeting in Los Angeles last weekend.

I went out to L.A. for the 15th annual "A Midsummer Night's Magic" fundraiser hosted by Magic Johnson. The proceeds from Magic's event raised money to provide full college scholarships to 37 students. (More on the Magic weekend later.) It was by coincidence that MPBP had its event on the same weekend in the same city. (The moms also raised money, to fight breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.)

The best thing about the MPBP event at the Sheraton Universal City was getting to see tough, high-profile basketball players melt in the presence of their mommas. Saturday afternoon, after watching a hilarious video of the mothers playing in a charity game last year, David Wesley took the microphone and said, "My mom (Romona Wesley) was the one running down the middle of the court with no purpose at all." Terrell Brandon promised he'd attend Saturday night's fashion show to cheer for his mom, Charlotte Brandon, because "If I don't, I'll get a whipping." Stephon Marbury, looking forward to the fashion event, predicted "My mom (Mabel Marbury) will be the one throwing her hips."

Momma Marbury did throw her hips during her stroll down the runway, and Stephon grabbed his disposable camera to record every moment. Among others I spotted in the crowd: Mitch Richmond and Lisa Leslie.

As much as I enjoyed seeing the moms, I had to leave their event to get to Magic's Mardi Gras gala, which drew 6,000 people to the Paramount Studios back lot. There was live music on three venues on the Bakelite, with Avant, Will Downing and Teena Marie (Lady T sounds just as amazing as she did in the '80s!). Among the NBA players taking in the sights and sounds at the party were Sam Cassell, Andre Miller (who told me that, while he's from LA, he's spent much of his summer in Utah), and Darius Miles.

And Magic's game on Sunday night at Pauley? It was a high-scoring, no-defense affair featuring Gary Payton, Steve Francis, Nick Van Exel and Antoine Walker. Who won? I have no idea. Most fans -- and some players -- spent most of the game checking out the celebs (Samuel L. Jackson, Lawrence Fishburne and Sisqo were among those attending) as well as a parade of fashionable females in clothes that could made a Victoria's Secret model blush (think fishnet pant suits and thongs).

Going back and forth between "A Midsummer Night's Magic" and the MPBP events made for a busy weekend. For any of you thinking about a career in sports journalism, you have no idea how tough this job is!

General editor Jerry Bembry covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine.