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

The NBA is delighted to reveal the ten candidates for the 2020-21 Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each one of these players has demonstrated an exceptional dedication to their community and has made a positive influence beyond the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since his NBA debut, DeAndre’ Bembry has shown a strong commitment to philanthropy. He established the AP World organization in honor of his brother Adrien, who tragically lost his life to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft. AP World is devoted to fostering safer communities and offering families the necessary resources to cope with and recover from grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively engaged with AP World. This included providing Thanksgiving meals for families, distributing brand new coats to children in need in partnership with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto, and donating 500 pairs of new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in collaboration with Shoes that Fit. Moreover, in the first week of February, during National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion as part of an all-athletes panel. He shared his personal experience and advocated for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for Toronto’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. This program aims to prevent bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion, and encourages students to take action. His virtual presentation, which was streamed to thousands of young people across 100 Ontario schools, sought to teach students how to navigate through difficult times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is taking part in the Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4, as part of the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, in order to share his family’s story. His unwavering commitment to safety in the face of gun violence is not only undeniable but also inspiring. It’s remarkable to see how he has transformed a tragic event into a foundation that provides support for other families grappling with grief.

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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 was in acknowledgment of his persistent dedication to helping young people and families in the wider Phoenix region.

Booker made a surprise announcement in May at a Suns home game. He revealed the 2020-21 class of his Devin Booker Starting Five initiative through a pre-recorded in-game address. The five local nonprofit organizations – Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix, were each given a $100,000 grant. This was to address their funding needs in the wake of the pandemic and support their work to improve the lives of youth and families. To further celebrate and benefit these organizations, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities launched a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie. Booker designed the hoodies, which were sold for a limited period, with all proceeds going to the Phoenix Suns Charities.

The five entities are part of the second group of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. This initiative contributes annually $500,000 to five different nonprofits in Arizona that cater to the youth, totaling $2.5 million over five years. The first group, which received their $100,000 grants at the end of 2019, included Special Olympics Arizona, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers, and Ability 360. Beyond his Starting Five initiative, Booker has significantly assisted youth and families across the Valley through COVID-19 relief efforts and holiday shopping events. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he actively champions inclusivity in sports.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

Joel Embiid, center for the Philadelphia 76ers, was awarded the Community Assist Award in March. The same month, Embiid was named an NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row. Undeterred by his sporting achievements, he continued his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia. He donated $100,000 to three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Additionally, Embiid provided 15,000 meals to the needy, 4,000 necessary clothing items, medical treatment for 1,000 people lacking stable housing, admission to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youth, and shelter to over 300 teens struggling with housing instability.

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

Over the last year, Embiid has concentrated much of his community efforts on COVID-19 relief. As the pandemic began, he teamed up with 76ers Managing Partners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, to contribute $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the creation of antibody testing for frontline healthcare workers. Embiid’s ongoing support for healthcare workers also saw him pledge $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, powered by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global and the CAA Foundation, aims at supplying PPE to frontline workers.

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Jrue Holiday

Benefiting Charity: The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund

Jrue Holiday, a guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Josh Richardson, a 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, Jrue and his wife Lauren collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their goal was to pinpoint small businesses, with women and Black owners, that required the most help. Upon evaluating grant applications, the Holiday family declared in January that they would be funding seven local businesses. 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. Operating in southeastern Wisconsin, these businesses offer a range of services such as assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality, and more.

Holiday has also dedicated himself to helping communities that matter to him by making long-term commitments. This includes promising his entire 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The Fund is designed to fight systemic racism and reduce economic disparity by offering financial support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, the Fund declared its support for 25 non-profits and historically Black institutions, along with 23 Black-owned small businesses in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Indianapolis.

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Damian Lillard

Benefiting Charity: Special Olympics Oregon

In recognition of his ongoing efforts to empower Portland’s youth, Damian Lillard, a guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was honored with the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award, presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Since moving to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated his efforts to investing in and mentoring local high school students through his RESPECT program. This initiative supports, encourages and celebrates students from three local high schools, namely McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. In the face of the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to ensure continued engagement with students. Lillard committed to conducting video visits to maintain remote contact with program participants, spotlighting students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles on his social media platforms. As schools resumed in-person learning, he provided RESPECT-branded face masks to students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard unveiled a special version of his Dame7 shoe, titled the RESPECT edition, exclusively for students participating in the program. The 500 pairs made featured the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose and Roosevelt schools and represented the three principles of RESPECT: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. These shoes were given to RESPECT’s partner schools as a reward for students who embody these principles. Lillard also wore these sneakers several times during the season. Besides RESPECT, he maintained his ambassadorial role for the Moda Assist Program, in collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This initiative donates $20 for every assist made during the season to support the creation of playgrounds accessible to all abilities across Oregon. This year, the city of Astoria has been chosen to receive funds for constructing an all-abilities playground to enhance 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 by Indigenous Basketball Australia, a foundation created by Mills to foster pathways for Aboriginal Australians into basketball. The league, which took place in eight locations throughout Australia, not only focuses on basketball skills development but also on life skills education. This includes promoting mental and physical well-being, as well as reinforcing personal identity during a vital stage of development. The tournaments also aim to uphold and celebrate Indigenous cultural practices. Mills also collaborated with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) set to occur at the Gold Coast in Queensland from April 11-13. This tournament will offer additional developmental opportunities on and off the court for 48 boys and girls.

Mills has spent a significant portion of his professional career in the United States supporting Australia, especially focusing on empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he donated his remaining salary for the 2019-20 season to social justice organizations and teamed up with other well-known Australian athletes to launch the ‘We Got You’ campaign, which aims to eradicate racism, discrimination, and exclusion in sports. Furthermore, following the catastrophic Australian bushfires earlier in the year, Mills coordinated 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 awarded the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognizes his ongoing commitment to promoting social justice and advocating for 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 Jordan Mitchell and where their mother, Nicole, had taught for over a decade. This donation, the most significant in the school’s history, will establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund to benefit students from pre-K-12th grade. It will also create the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund to help teachers who share Nicole’s teaching passion, and the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, Mitchell donated the revenue from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers over the summer to fund the education of Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx. This contribution amounted to over $300,000 in scholarships and academic support.

Mitchell maintained his staunch dedication to addressing racial injustice throughout the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He carried this dialogue into the offseason, teaming up with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum from Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia for a discussion on educational, economic, and social disparities. The National Basketball Social Justice Coalition also appointed Mitchell to its inaugural board. The coalition aims to utilize the game’s influence to raise awareness, provide education, and advocate for significant reform. In addition, Mitchell consistently extends a helping hand to those most vulnerable through his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a community and basketball hero from Northeast Ohio, has taken a stand against the damaging effects of COVID-19 on small businesses. He pledged to use every regular season game to highlight pre-chosen local businesses, by auctioning off his game-worn jerseys and donating all proceeds. Both Larry and the Cavs match these proceeds, hence tripling each small business’s donation.

Larry’s social media challenge resulted in hundreds of packages arriving from local businesses eager to be highlighted during his pregame walk-up. Furthermore, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with these small business owners, which are then shared on Cavs digital platforms. This approach allows fans to gain a deeper insight into these businesses and amplifies their stories across the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry successfully raised more than $222k and significantly increased visibility for 72 deserving small businesses as the Cavs season concluded. Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched the proceeds from Larry’s jersey auction with an extra $100K donation. This generous contribution was given to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and Akron Urban League, both of which support minority-owned businesses. In a separate venture in 2017, Larry started the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. This organization aims to raise awareness of these diseases among adolescents and helps children recognize their potential in athletics, despite such diagnoses.

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

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Josh Richardson

Benefiting Charity: Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

Shortly before the onset of the 2020-21 season, Richardson joined the Mavericks and was quick to make his mark in the broader Dallas area. He surprised numerous frontline healthcare workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a video message expressing gratitude for their continuous efforts in maintaining community safety. Further, he surprised a first-grade class from the Dallas Independent School District by becoming a guest reader, where he encouraged the students to value reading and education amidst the unique challenges of the school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has continued his association with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This program lends comfort, care and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has built a strong relationship with his mentee, Elijah, through this program. During the festive season, he has given presents to over 20 families who have also experienced the loss of a loved one in service.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to positively impact the communities he lives and plays in. Upon joining a new team, Westbrook collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his native Los Angeles. The academy serves middle to high school students, improving access to educational services and outdoor activities for children and the wider community in south Los Angeles. In 2012, Westbrook set up The Why Not? Foundation with the aim of providing support to at-risk groups, including educational services, mental health resources, and career tools. The foundation also encourages young people to think creatively, chase their dreams, and never give up, regardless of the obstacles they face. In November, Westbrook and his foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank for the ninth consecutive year to distribute Thanksgiving meals to Los Angeles residents.

In December, Russell organized a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all the students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, which primarily serves students from homeless or unstable living conditions. In February, he became an advisor with Varo Bank to help address income inequality by implementing programs that enhance financial literacy within minority communities. Besides his hands-on community involvement, Westbrook has also made efforts to educate communities about the various injustices faced by Black people in America throughout history.

In April, Russell declared that he was creating a documentary about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a frequently ignored and untaught event in American history. The documentary is set to premiere on May 30.

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