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

The NBA is delighted to unveil the 10 candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the 2020-21 Season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Every player nominated has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to their community, creating a positive influence beyond the court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since entering the NBA, DeAndre’ Bembry has been committed to philanthropy. After the tragic death of his brother Adrien from gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft, DeAndre’ established AP World. This organization focuses on fostering safer communities and equipping families with resources to cope with and triumph over grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has actively collaborated with AP World. This includes providing Thanksgiving meals to families, partnering with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto to offer new coats to children in need, and supplying 500 pairs of brand-new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in collaboration with Shoes that Fit. Prior to National Gun Violence Survivors week, which takes place in the first week of February, Bembry participated in a virtual roundtable discussion as part of an all-athletes panel. Here, he was able to share his personal story and advocate for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. The program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering an environment of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It also empowers students to act. Bembry’s online presentation was streamed to thousands of young people in over 100 Ontario schools, with the aim of teaching students how to weather tough times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is taking part 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 inspiring. It’s remarkable to witness how he has transformed a devastating 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 awarded the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognizes his ongoing dedication to helping young people and families in the wider Phoenix area.

In May, Booker made a surprise announcement at a Suns home game, revealing the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. Five local nonprofits, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix, were each gifted a $100,000 grant from Booker. This financial aid was given to help meet the organizations’ urgent funding needs following the pandemic, and to assist their work in improving the lives of local children and families. To celebrate and benefit the 2020-21 class further, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities produced a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, honoring the chosen nonprofits. These unique hoodies, designed by Booker, were available for a limited period, with all sales proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five, which annually donates $500,000 to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, has welcomed its second class of five organizations. Over a period of five years, the initiative will donate a total of $2.5 million. The first class, which includes Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers, and Ability 360, received their $100,000 grants in late 2019. Booker, in addition to the Starting Five initiative, has contributed significantly to the wellbeing of youth and families across the Valley through COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he actively promotes inclusion through sport.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

In March, Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers, was recognized with the Community Assist Award. After being selected as an NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row during the same month, he donated $100,000 to three Philadelphia-based charities: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. These organizations fight homelessness in Philadelphia, a cause Embiid is passionate about. In addition to his hefty donation, he also provided 15,000 meals to the needy, 4,000 crucial clothing items, medical care for 1,000 people lacking secure housing, a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youth, and shelter for over 300 teenagers dealing with housing insecurity.

Embiid offered his support to local community members greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by helping five families. He provided each family with gifts and clothing, groceries, and rent relief for a year.

Over the past year, Embiid has concentrated his community efforts on providing COVID-19 relief. When the pandemic hit, he collaborated with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to donate $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody testing for frontline healthcare workers. He further supported healthcare workers by pledging $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, run by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, aims to supply PPE to frontline 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 received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

Jrue joined the Bucks in November and together with his wife, Lauren, they collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their goal was to identify local small businesses, particularly those owned by women and Black individuals, that required financial aid. After carefully evaluating grant applications, the Holidays announced in January that they would be funding seven 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. These businesses are based in southeastern Wisconsin and offer a range of services such as assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality and others.

Holiday has also taken long-term steps to help communities that matter to him. This includes dedicating his entire 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The fund aims to fight systemic racism and reduce economic inequality by providing financial aid and support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, this fund declared 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

Damian Lillard, guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was recognized for his ongoing efforts to empower Portland’s youth with the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for April. This award was presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Since relocating to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to mentoring and investing in local high-school students through his RESPECT initiative. This program backs, motivates, and applauds the efforts of students in three Portland-area high schools, namely McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Amid the global pandemic and the shift to online learning this year, RESPECT adapted to ensure continued engagement with the students. Lillard pledged to stay in touch with the program’s participants through video calls and used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles. As schools resumed face-to-face learning, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard introduced a unique RESPECT version of his signature Dame7 shoe, exclusively for students participating in the program. The production run consisted of 500 pairs, which incorporated the school colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt, and showcased the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Lillard donated these shoes to RESPECT’s partner schools as rewards for students who embody these principles, and he also wore the sneakers several times during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard maintained his ambassador role for the Moda Assist Program, partnering with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program donates $20 per assist made during the season to fund the construction of inclusive playgrounds for all abilities across Oregon. This year, Astoria was chosen to receive funds towards building an all-abilities playground, enhancing 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.

Indigenous Basketball Australia, an organization founded by Mills to give Aboriginal Australians a chance to play basketball, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) in February. This league, aimed at players aged 14 and under, took place in eight different Australian locations. These tournaments not only aim to improve basketball skills but also aim to foster life skills education, including mental and physical health, and to strengthen personal identity at a crucial age. This is achieved while also preserving and celebrating Indigenous cultural practices. On top of this, Mills joined forces with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT). This tournament, held from April 11-13 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, will offer further development opportunities both on and off the court for 48 young boys and girls.

Throughout his professional career in the United States, Mills has committed to giving back to Australia, particularly by empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he donated his remaining 2019-20 season salary to social justice organizations and co-initiated the ‘We Got You’ campaign with other notable Australian athletes. This campaign aims to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Mills also coordinated a $750,000 contribution from nine Australian NBA players towards relief efforts following the severe Australian bushfires earlier that year.

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Donovan Mitchell

Benefiting Charity: Children’s Village

Donovan Mitchell, the guard for Utah Jazz, was awarded the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, for his ongoing commitment to promoting social justice and education advocacy during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, the Mitchell family made a generous donation of $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, the alma mater of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell, and the institution where their mother, Nicole, had a decade-long teaching career. This donation, being the school’s largest ever, will be allocated to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund, supporting students from pre-K to 12th grade. It will also contribute to the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund, assisting teachers who exhibit the same teaching passion as Nicole, and fund the construction of the new D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, this past summer, Mitchell donated the proceeds from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers to further support education. The beneficiaries included Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and preschool teachers in Connecticut and the Bronx. This donation totaled over $300,000 in scholarships and academic support.

Mitchell, known for his steadfast dedication to addressing racial injustice during the 2019-20 NBA season restart, kept the conversation going in the offseason. He joined forces with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum from Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia to discuss educational, economic, and social inequalities. Mitchell also received an appointment to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, an organization that seeks to use basketball’s influence to promote awareness, education, and advocate for substantial reform. Additionally, he consistently supports those in dire need through his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a basketball star and community figure from Northeast Ohio, has committed to supporting local businesses affected severely by the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to auction his game-worn jerseys during each regular season game, donating all proceeds to pre-selected local businesses. Furthermore, both Larry and the Cavaliers match these proceeds, effectively tripling the donation each small business receives.

Larry’s social media challenge attracted hundreds of packages from local businesses keen to be featured during his pregame walk-up. Additionally, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with the small business owners. These interviews are then shared on Cavs digital platforms, providing fans a deeper insight into the businesses and further promoting their stories within the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise over $222k and provided valuable exposure for 72 small businesses by the end of the Cavs’ season. Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched this amount raised in Larry’s jersey auction, making an additional donation of $100K to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. Both organizations provide support to minority-owned businesses. Apart from this, Larry, in 2017, initiated the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. This foundation aims at raising awareness of these diseases among teenagers and assists children in reaching their athletic potential regardless of their diagnoses.

Throughout the pandemic, Larry utilized his platform to talk about the mental and physical 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 start of the 2020-21 season, Richardson joined the Mavericks and promptly set out to make a difference in the greater Dallas area. He surprised numerous frontline health care workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message expressing gratitude for their ongoing efforts to maintain community safety. Furthermore, he visited a first grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, where he not only surprised the students but also encouraged them to embrace reading and education amidst the unique challenges of that school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has remained actively involved with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program aimed at providing support and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has nurtured a strong bond with his mentee, Elijah, through this program. During the holiday season, he extended his support by providing gifts to over 20 families who, like him, 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. As he settles into a new team market, Westbrook has collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his native Los Angeles. The academy, which caters to middle and high school students, aims to improve access to educational services and outdoor activities for children and the wider community in southern Los Angeles. In 2012, Russell established The Why Not? Foundation, with a mission to offer services to vulnerable populations, including education, mental health resources, and workforce tools. The foundation also inspires young people to think creatively, chase their dreams, and persist despite challenges. In November, Russell and his foundation joined forces with the L.A. Regional Food Bank for the ninth consecutive year to provide Thanksgiving meals to Los Angeles residents.

In December, Russell organized a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, which caters to many students coming from homeless or insecure housing situations. He then partnered with Varo Bank in February, assuming the role of an advisor, with the goal to address income disparities by enhancing financial literacy in minority communities. Alongside his direct involvement in community outreach, Westbrook has also taken the lead in enlightening communities about the various inequalities that Black people have endured throughout American history.

In April, Russell announced he was producing a documentary on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event that is frequently ignored and not taught in American history. The documentary is set to premiere on May 30.

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