Talking about feeling vertically challenged. Even the 6-foot-plus folks strolling across the floor of Toyota Center Thursday night had to feel like peewees in the presence of the NBA pros headlining the Houston Rockets' Tux & Tennies Charity Gala.

It was a sequoia forest of towering men in tuxes, the giants of the sports world strolling through in their custom-made tuxedos and super-sized tennies. This was the 15th year that the team and owner Leslie Alexander, not so tall, combined forces to raise significant dollars for charity through their Clutch City Foundation.

Beneficiaries of Thursday's largesse — much of it coming from generous auction bidders — were Children's Memorial Hermann and HEARTS (Houston Early Age Risk Training and Screening). No surprise then that Memorial Hermann CEO Dan Wolterman and wife Lori were special guests of Alexander and his companion Liz Brown.

Not to be missed in the crowd were Yao Ming and his bride, Ye Li, whose baby bump was clearly showing. Delivery is expected in early summer. The antics of Aaron Brooks kept guests entertained throughout the night including his playful stint as live auction spotter. Looking especially handsome in his green plaid dinner jacket was Shane Battier. David Andersen and his glamorous fiancée Nerida Zwaan made a handsome pair.

The live auction action went hot and heavy particularly when it came to bidding on the road trip with the Rockets to China. That gem of an experience was purchased four times by four different bidders, who each parted with $17,000. By night's end, the proceeds had topped $200,000.

Among the heavy-hitters in the mix of more than 300 guests were Penny and Paul Lloyd, Leticia and Steve Trauber, Sandy and Gerald Bennett, Courtney and Mark Toon, Franco Valobra, and Laura and Michael Puzio. In addition to team players, Rockets' CEO Tad Brown and wife Janice and coach Rick Adelman and wife Mary Kay.