Vote for the 2020-21 NBA Cares Seasonlong Community Assist Award

The NBA is pleased to unveil the ten candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award 2020-21 Season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. These players have displayed remarkable dedication to their communities and have made significant positive contributions outside the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since his NBA career began, DeAndre’ Bembry has been devoted to philanthropy. Following the loss of his brother Adrien to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft, he established the AP World organization. This foundation aims to build safer communities and equip families with the necessary resources to handle and triumph over grief, in memory of his late brother.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, participating in several charitable activities. These include distributing Thanksgiving meals to families, partnering with Operation Warm to provide new coats for needy children in Toronto, and donating 500 pairs of brand-new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February through the Shoes that Fit initiative. In addition, he participated in a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athletes panel ahead of National Gun Violence Survivors week in early February. During this discussion, Bembry shared his personal story and advocated for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ Bembry was part of a virtual school assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. The program’s aim is to prevent bullying, racism and discrimination by fostering an environment of equity, diversity and inclusion. It also empowers students to take action. His virtual talk was aired to thousands of young people in 100 schools throughout Ontario, demonstrating how to face challenges and emerge stronger.

Bembry is taking part in a Wear Orange virtual panel to share his family’s story on June 4, in conjunction with the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day. His unwavering commitment to safety in the face of gun violence is both undeniable and inspiring. It is admirable to see Bembry transform a tragic event into a foundation that provides support to other families dealing with loss.

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Devin Booker

Benefiting Charity: Phoenix Suns Charities

Devin Booker, a guard for the Phoenix Suns, was honored with the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges his ongoing dedication to aiding youth and families in the larger Phoenix area.

In May, five local nonprofits were pleasantly surprised by Booker at a Suns home game. Through a pre-recorded in-game announcement, he introduced them as the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. The beneficiaries, including Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix, each received a $100,000 grant from Booker. The funds were aimed at addressing their financial needs following the pandemic and supporting their work to improve the lives of local families and youth. In addition to this, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities launched a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie to honor and raise funds for the 2020-21 class. Booker himself designed the exclusive hoodies, with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five is a class of five organizations that receive an annual donation of $500,000, split between them. This amounts to a total of $2.5 million over a five-year period. The second cohort of this initiative includes five different youth-serving nonprofits based in Arizona. The first cohort – which included Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers, and Ability 360 – was granted their share of $100,000 in late 2019. Beyond the Starting Five initiative, Booker has made substantial contributions to youth and families throughout the Valley, particularly through COVID-19 relief efforts and holiday shopping sprees. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he also actively advocates for inclusion in sport.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

In March, Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers, received the Community Assist Award. This recognition came during the same month he was named an NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row. Embiid continued his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia. He donated $100,000 equally to three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. In addition, Embiid provided 15,000 meals, 4,000 clothing essentials, medical aid for 1,000 individuals struggling with housing, a six-week summer camp access for 50 homeless youth, and shelter for over 300 teens dealing with housing insecurity.

Embiid expressed his support for the local community by helping five families severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided each family with gifts and clothing, groceries, and a year’s worth of rent relief.

Over the past year, Embiid has concentrated his community efforts on COVID-19 relief. At the beginning of the pandemic, he joined forces with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to contribute $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody testing for frontline healthcare workers. He also committed $500,000 to the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign, a project run by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, to supply personal protective equipment to frontline workers. This is part of his ongoing support for healthcare workers.

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Jrue Holiday

Benefiting Charity: The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund

Jrue Holiday, guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Josh Richardson, guard for the Dallas Mavericks, jointly won the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

In November, after becoming members of the Bucks, Lauren and Jrue Holiday collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation to identify local, small-scale businesses owned by women and Black individuals who needed the most help. After evaluating grant applications, seven local businesses were chosen by the Holiday family for funding in January. These included Amri Counseling Services, Carter’s Quality Care, Hands at Home, Jamaican Season Island Restaurant, Kid’s Kingdom, Legacy Home Health Services, and The SW Retreat, all located in southeastern Wisconsin. These businesses provide a wide range of services such as assisted living, home healthcare, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality, and more.

Holiday has also undertaken enduring commitments to help communities that matter to him. This includes his pledge to use the balance of his 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. This fund aims to fight systemic racism and boost financial disparity by backing Black-led organizations and businesses with necessary funding and support. Earlier this season, the fund declared its support for 25 non-profits and historically Black institutions, as well as 23 Black-owned small businesses in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Indianapolis.

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Damian Lillard

Benefiting Charity: Special Olympics Oregon

Damian Lillard, guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was awarded the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges his ongoing endeavors to uplift the youth of Portland.

Since moving to Portland in 2012, Lillard has been dedicated to mentoring and investing in local high school students through his RESPECT program. This initiative supports, encourages, and celebrates three local high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. In the face of the global pandemic and shift to online learning, the RESPECT program adapted to continue engaging with students. Lillard stayed in touch with participants through virtual visits and used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers embodying the program’s principles. When schools resumed face-to-face classes, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard introduced a special edition of his Dame7 shoe, dubbed the RESPECT edition, exclusively for students participating in the program. The 500 pairs manufactured bore the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools and symbolized the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. The shoes were gifted to students of RESPECT’s partner schools who embodied these principles, and Lillard himself wore these sneakers multiple times during the season. Furthermore, Lillard maintained his ambassadorship for the Moda Assist Program, a partnership with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program donates $20 for every assist made during the season to fund the construction of inclusive playgrounds for all abilities across Oregon. This year, Astoria has been chosen to receive funds for the creation of an all-abilities playground, benefiting their community.

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Patty Mills

Benefiting Charity: Urban Indigenous Health

San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills took home the February NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his continued efforts to create opportunities that empower Indigenous young people and advance social justice in his native Australia.

In February, the first-ever Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) for players aged 14 and under was launched in eight Australian locations by Indigenous Basketball Australia, an organisation established by Mills to offer Aboriginal Australians opportunities to play basketball. The tournaments aim to uphold and honour Indigenous cultural traditions, prioritising basketball skill enhancement and education in life skills. This includes mental and physical health, as well as the reinforcement of personal identity at a crucial age. Moreover, Mills collaborated with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) on the Gold Coast in Queensland from April 11-13. This event aims to offer 48 boys and girls further opportunities for on-court and off-court development.

Much of Mills’ professional career in the United States has been devoted to contributing to Australia, especially towards empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he contributed the rest of his 2019-20 season salary to social justice organizations and was instrumental in initiating the ‘We Got You’ campaign. This campaign, a collaborative effort with other prominent Australian athletes, aims to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Furthermore, in response to the disastrous Australian bushfires earlier that year, Mills arranged for a donation of $750,000 from nine Australian NBA players.

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Donovan Mitchell

Benefiting Charity: Children’s Village

Donovan Mitchell, a guard for the Utah Jazz, was honored with the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognizes his ongoing work to promote social justice and education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, the Mitchell family made a $12 million donation to Greenwich Country Day School, the alma mater of Donovan and his sister Jordan and the place where their mother, Nicole, taught for over a decade. This marked the school’s largest single donation, which will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund for students from pre-K-12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund for teachers committed to their profession like Nicole, and the D.O.N. – Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, Mitchell contributed the sales of his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers this past summer, raising over $300,000 for scholarships and academic aid. This supported the education of Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx.

Mitchell persisted in addressing racial injustice even after the 2019-20 NBA season restart, due to his steadfast commitment. In the offseason, he joined a discussion with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum from Portland, and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris on social, economic, and educational inequities. Mitchell was also appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. The coalition aims to use the influence of the game to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for significant reform. Through his SPIDACARES organization, Mitchell consistently supports those who are most in need.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a basketball and community champion from Northeast Ohio, has committed to supporting local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He donates all proceeds from auctioning his game-worn jerseys at each regular season game, which are given to pre-selected local businesses. Both Nance Jr. and the Cavaliers match the proceeds, effectively tripling the donation that each small business receives.

Larry’s social media challenge led him to receive hundreds of packages from local businesses eager to feature in his pregame walk-up. Moreover, post-game interviews with the small business owners are highlighted by the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team on Cavs digital platforms. This allows fans to have a detailed insight into the businesses and expands their story’s reach within the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise more than $222k and provide significant exposure for 72 worthy small businesses as the Cavs’ season concluded. Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched Larry’s jersey auction earnings with an additional $100k donation to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League, both of which support minority-owned businesses. Apart from this, Larry started the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation in 2017 with the objective to raise awareness about these diseases among teenagers, and to encourage children to pursue their athletic aspirations despite these diagnoses.

Throughout the pandemic, Larry utilized his platform to talk about the physical and mental effects of COVID-19 on individuals with pre-existing auto-immune conditions.

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Josh Richardson

Benefiting Charity: Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

Shortly before the 2020-21 season commenced, Richardson joined the Mavericks and promptly aimed to contribute positively to the wider Dallas area. He pleasantly surprised numerous frontline healthcare workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video expressing gratitude for their continuous efforts in safeguarding the community. Richardson also visited a first grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader. He surprised the students and encouraged them to value reading and education, especially during the unique challenges of this academic year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, continues his work with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program that offers solace, care, and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has formed a deep bond with his mentee, Elijah, through the program. During the festive season, he generously provided gifts for over 20 families grieving the loss of a servicemember.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook is leaving a lasting impact in the communities he lives and plays in. Upon joining a new team, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in Los Angeles, his hometown. The academy serves students from middle school to high school, and aims to enhance access to educational services and outdoor activities for children and the broader south Los Angeles community. Westbrook started The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, with the main objective of serving at-risk populations by offering education, mental health resources, and workforce tools, while inspiring young people to think creatively, chase their dreams and never give up, regardless of the challenges they face. Last November, Westbrook and his foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank to provide Thanksgiving meals to Los Angeles residents for the ninth consecutive year.

In December, Russell organized a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School. This school predominantly serves students from homeless or unstable households. In February, he partnered with Varo Bank as an advisor, aiming to address income disparities by enhancing financial literacy programs within the minority community. Beyond his direct community engagement, Westbrook is also dedicated to educating communities about the longstanding inequalities endured by Black Americans throughout history.

In April, Russell announced his production of a documentary about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event frequently ignored and not taught in American history. The documentary is set to premiere on May 30.

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