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

The NBA is thrilled to reveal the ten contenders for the 2020-21 NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each of these athletes has demonstrated remarkable dedication to their community and has made a significant positive difference outside of the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since his NBA inception, DeAndre’ Bembry has been committed 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. The organization aims to build safer communities and offer resources to families for coping with and overcoming grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, participating in various charitable activities. These include providing Thanksgiving meals for families, partnering with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto to supply brand new coats for children in need, and donating 500 pairs of brand-new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February together with Shoes that Fit. In addition to this, during the first week of February, which is National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry shared his story and advocated for gun safety in a virtual roundtable discussion as part of an all-athletes panel.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for Toronto’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. The program is aimed at combating bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and empowering students to take action. Bembry’s online presentation was streamed to thousands of young people across 100 Ontario schools, aiming to teach students how to weather difficult times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is participating in a Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4 as part of the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, where he will share his family’s story. His unwavering commitment to safety in the face of gun violence is both undeniable and inspiring, especially considering how he has transformed a tragic event into a foundation that provides support to other families dealing 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 award acknowledges his ongoing dedication to helping families and young people in the wider Phoenix region.

In May, at a Suns home game, Booker surprised five local nonprofits by announcing through a pre-recorded in-game address that they were chosen for the 2020-21 Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. The recipients – Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix – each got a $100,000 grant from Booker. This funding will help address pressing needs in the wake of the pandemic and support their work in bettering the lives of local families and young people. To further celebrate the 2020-21 class, Booker teamed up with Phoenix Suns Charities to create a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, which honors the selected nonprofits. Booker designed the special hoodies which were sold for a limited period, with all proceeds given to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The second cohort of charities in the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative includes five organizations. This program donates $500,000 per year to different youth-focused nonprofits in Arizona, amounting to $2.5 million over five years. The previous group, including Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360, were granted their $100,000 in late 2019. Beyond the Starting Five initiative, Booker has extended considerable assistance to young people and families across the Valley through COVID-19 relief efforts and holiday shopping sprees. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Booker actively advocates for inclusivity in sports.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

In March, Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers, was distinguished with the Community Assist Award. Embiid, having been named an NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row that month, continued his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia. He contributed $100,000 to three Philadelphia-based organizations namely Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. In addition to this, Embiid provided 15,000 meals to those in need, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical treatment for 1,000 individuals facing housing insecurity, access to a six-week summer camp for 50 youths experiencing homelessness, and shelter for over 300 teenagers dealing with housing insecurity.

Embiid showed his support for his local community by helping five families deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided each family with gifts, clothing, groceries and rent relief for the upcoming year.

In the past year, Embiid has concentrated a lot of his community work on COVID-19 relief. When the pandemic first hit, he partnered with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to contribute $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody testing for healthcare workers on the frontline. Embiid also committed $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign – a joint initiative by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation – to supply PPE to frontline workers, further demonstrating his ongoing support for healthcare professionals.

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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.

Jrue and his wife Lauren joined forces with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation after he became a member of the Bucks in November. Their goal was to seek out small businesses owned by women and Black individuals that required aid the most. Following the evaluation of grant applications, the Holiday family disclosed in January that they would be providing funding for seven local businesses. These include 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. These businesses offer a range of services such as assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality and more in the southeastern region of Wisconsin.

Holiday has also committed to help communities that are significant to him in the long-term. This includes dedicating the remaining portion of his 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The fund aims to fight systemic racism and expand economic inequality through financing and aiding 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

The NBA Cares Community Assist Award for April, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, was given to Damian Lillard, a guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, in acknowledgement of his ongoing work to uplift youth throughout Portland.

Ever since his arrival in Portland in 2012, Lillard has been dedicated to investing and mentoring local high school students through his RESPECT program. This initiative supports, encourages, and celebrates students from three high schools in the Portland area – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. This year, due to the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, adjustments were made to the RESPECT program to continue engagement with students. Lillard ensured he kept in touch with the participants by committing to video visits and highlighted those who embodied the program’s principles on his social media platforms. As in-person learning resumed, Lillard supplied RESPECT branded face masks to students and staff involved in the program.

Lillard introduced a special edition of his signature Dame7 shoe, called RESPECT, exclusively for students in the program. The 500 pairs made included colors from McDaniel, Parkrose and Roosevelt schools and highlighted the three RESPECT values: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. The shoes were gifted to students at RESPECT’s partner schools who exemplified these principles, and Lillard wore the sneakers several times during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard also continued his ambassadorship for the Moda Assist Program, in collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program donates $20 for every assist made during the season to fund all-inclusive ability playgrounds across Oregon. This year, Astoria city has been chosen to receive funding for the construction of an all-abilities playground, which will 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, Indigenous Basketball Australia, a foundation established by Mills to promote basketball opportunities for Aboriginal Australians, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) for individuals aged 14 and under at eight different venues throughout Australia. The league’s tournaments not only uphold and honor Indigenous cultural traditions, but also concentrate on the progression of basketball skills and the imparting of crucial life lessons, including maintaining mental and physical health and fostering a solid sense of identity during a pivotal period of life. Mills also collaborated with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT), set to take place in Queensland’s Gold Coast from April 11-13. This event will offer 48 boys and girls further opportunities for growth both on and off the court.

Mills has committed a substantial part of his professional career in the US to uplifting Australia, particularly focusing on empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. He donated his remaining 2019-2020 season salary to social justice groups in 2020 and initiated the ‘We Got You’ campaign, in partnership with other prominent Australian athletes, to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Mills also coordinated a $750,000 donation from nine Australian NBA players following the severe Australian bushfires earlier that year.

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Donovan Mitchell

Benefiting Charity: Children’s Village

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

In December, the Mitchell family made a $12 million donation to Greenwich Country Day School, the alma mater of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell, and the former workplace of their mother, Nicole. This donation, the largest in the school’s history, will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund for students from pre-K-12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund for passionate teachers, and the new D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Mitchell also made a contribution this past summer, donating the profits from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers. This donation, totaling over $300,000, was used to provide scholarships and academic assistance for Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers in preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx.

Mitchell continued his strong advocacy against racial discrimination into the offseason subsequent to the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He was a part of a discussion on educational, economic, and social inequities alongside the then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum from Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia. In addition, Mitchell was appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, a body that aims to utilize basketball’s influence to raise awareness, educate, and push for significant reform. He also consistently contributes to those in dire need through his organization, SPIDACARES.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

In his home region of Northeast Ohio, Larry Nance Jr. is not just a basketball star, but also a community hero. Responding to the harsh effects of COVID-19 on small businesses, Larry pledged to use each regular season game to boost pre-chosen local businesses. He does this by donating the full sum from the auctioning of his game-worn jerseys. Larry, along with the Cavs, match these proceeds, thus tripling the amount each small business gets as a donation.

Larry’s social media challenge attracted hundreds of packages from local businesses keen on being highlighted during his pregame walk-up. Moreover, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with the owners of these small businesses. These interviews are then shared on Cavs digital platforms, providing fans with a deeper perspective on the businesses and spreading their story throughout the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise more than $222k and bring substantial publicity to 72 worthy small businesses as the Cavs season ended. On top of this, Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched Larry’s jersey auction proceeds with another $100K donation. This donation was made to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League, organizations that support minority-owned businesses. In a separate initiative in 2017, Larry started the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. This foundation strives to raise awareness about both diseases among young people and helps afflicted children pursue their athletic dreams despite their diagnoses.

Larry utilized his platform during the pandemic to talk about how COVID-19 affects the mental and physical health of 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’s onset, Richardson joined the Mavericks and immediately aimed to contribute to the wider Dallas area. He surprised numerous frontline health care workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center, gifting them Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message of appreciation for their continuous efforts in ensuring community safety. He also made a guest appearance in a Dallas Independent School District first-grade class as a reader, startling the students and motivating them to value reading and education amidst the unique obstacles of this school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has maintained his involvement with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This program offers comfort, care, and resources to those mourning a servicemember’s death. Over the years, he has fostered a strong bond with his mentee, Elijah, via this program. During the festive season, he gifted more than 20 families, who too have lost a loved one in service.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to make a lasting impact in the communities where he lives and plays. While adapting to a new team market, Westbrook collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his native Los Angeles. The academy aims to enhance access to educational services and outdoor activities for middle to high school students, as well as the broader south Los Angeles community. Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, with the ultimate objective of serving at-risk communities by providing education, mental health resources, and career tools, and encouraging the youth to think creatively, chase their dreams and persist despite challenges. In November, Westbrook and his foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank for the ninth year in a row to distribute Thanksgiving meals to Los Angeles residents.

In December, Russell conducted a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, which primarily serves students from homeless or unstable housing situations. Russell then teamed up with Varo Bank in February as an advisor, aiming to rectify income disparities through programs designed to enhance financial literacy within minority communities. Furthermore, Westbrook has proactively engaged in educating communities about the various inequalities Black people in America have continually faced throughout history, beyond his direct community outreach activities.

In April, Russell announced he was producing a documentary on the often overlooked and untaught 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in American history. The documentary is set to debut on May 30.

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