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

The NBA is delighted to reveal the 10 candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the 2020-21 Season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each of these players has demonstrated remarkable dedication to their community and a positive influence beyond the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

From the outset of his NBA career, DeAndre’ Bembry has shown a strong commitment to philanthropy. He established the AP World organization in memory of his brother Adrien, who tragically lost his life to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft. The organization seeks to build safer communities and offers resources to families for coping with and overcoming grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, engaging in various charitable acts. This includes supplying Thanksgiving meals for families, collaborating with Operation Warm to provide new coats for needy children via Children’s Aid in Toronto, and donating 500 pairs of brand new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in conjunction with Shoes that Fit. Prior to the National Gun Violence Survivors week in the first week of February, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athlete panel, sharing his personal story and advocating for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ joined a virtual school assembly for Toronto’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. The program aims to stop bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It also empowers students to take action. Bembry’s online presentation reached thousands of young people in 100 schools across Ontario. The goal was to teach students how to face tough times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is set to participate in a Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4, in conjunction with the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day. He will be sharing his family’s story. His dedication to safety amid gun violence is not only unquestionable but also inspiring. It’s commendable how he has transformed a tragic experience into a foundation that lends support to 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 awarded the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognized his ongoing dedication to assisting youth and families in the greater Phoenix area.

In May, five local nonprofits were pleasantly surprised by Booker at a Suns home game. During an in-game, pre-recorded announcement, he revealed they were the chosen beneficiaries of the 2020-21 Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix each received a $100,000 grant. These funds will address their urgent financing needs in the aftermath of the pandemic and bolster their work to enhance the lives of local youths and families. To further honor and aid the 2020-21 class, Booker collaborated with Phoenix Suns Charities to create a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, celebrating the chosen nonprofits. Booker designed these unique hoodies, which were sold for a limited period with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The five organizations comprise the second batch of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which commits to donating $500,000 every year to five diverse youth-oriented nonprofits in Arizona, totaling $2.5 million over five years. The first batch — 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 donations in late 2019. Beyond his Starting Five initiative, Booker has generously contributed to youth and families throughout the Valley via COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. He also serves as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, fervently advocating for inclusion through sports.

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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. This came after his fourth consecutive selection as an NBA All-Star starter. Embiid extended his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia through a generous donation of $100,000, which was split among three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Besides this, he supplied 15,000 meals for the needy, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical care for 1,000 people facing housing instability, and access to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youth. He also provided shelter to over 300 teens dealing with housing insecurity.

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

Over the past year, Embiid has primarily aimed his community efforts towards COVID-19 relief. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Embiid, alongside 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, donated $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody testing for healthcare workers on the frontline. In a bid to continually support healthcare workers, he also promised a $500,000 donation through the #FirstRespondersFirst initiative. This campaign, which is a joint initiative of 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

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

Jrue and his wife Lauren joined forces with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation to support small, women- and Black-owned businesses after Jrue joined the Bucks in November. They reviewed grant applications and decided to fund seven local businesses that were most in need. In January, funding was announced for 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 in southeastern Wisconsin, including but not limited to assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality.

Holiday has dedicated himself to helping communities that matter to him through long-term commitments. This includes pledging his entire 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The fund aims to fight systemic racism and promote economic equality by funding and supporting Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, the fund revealed that it would support 25 non-profits and historically Black institutions. It also announced its support for 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, a guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was awarded the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges his ongoing work in empowering the youth of Portland.

Since moving to Portland in 2012, Lillard has been dedicated to investing in and mentoring local high school students through his RESPECT program, which focuses on supporting and celebrating students from three local high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Amid the global pandemic and the shift to online learning, the RESPECT program adapted to continue engaging with students. Lillard initiated virtual visits to stay connected with the participants and highlighted students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles via his social media platforms. As schools transitioned back to in-person learning, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard launched a special RESPECT edition of his Dame7 shoe, exclusively for the students involved in the program. The 500 pairs made were designed with the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools, and highlighted the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. The shoes were gifted to RESPECT’s partner schools as rewards for students exhibiting these principles. Lillard also wore the sneakers on multiple occasions during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard continued as an ambassador 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 creating inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, Astoria has been chosen to receive funding to construct an all-abilities playground and boost 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, established by Mills, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) in February for players aged 14 and under. The league, which took place in eight Australian locations, was designed to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians to engage in basketball. The tournaments also aimed to uphold and honor Indigenous cultural traditions, with an emphasis on basketball training, life skills education, mental and physical health, and the enhancement of personal identity during a crucial developmental stage. Furthermore, Mills collaborated with the NBA and Jr. NBA to introduce the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT), held on the Gold Coast in Queensland from April 11-13. This event offered 48 boys and girls additional opportunities for both on-court and off-court development.

Mills has devoted a significant portion of his professional career in the US towards contributing back to Australia, particularly to uplift Indigenous youth and communities of color. He exhibited this commitment in 2020 when he donated his remaining 2019-20 season salary to organizations advocating social justice and initiated the ‘We Got You’ campaign alongside other renowned Australian athletes to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Additionally, in response to the terrible Australian bushfires that year, Mills coordinated a $750,000 contribution 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, presented by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognized his ongoing work to promote social justice and education, particularly during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, Greenwich Country Day School received a record-breaking donation of $12 million from the Mitchell family, whose members include alumni Donovan and Jordan and their mother, Nicole, a former teacher at the school. This donation will establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund, benefiting students from pre-K to 12th grade; the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund, supporting passionate teachers; and the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Mitchell made another generous contribution over the summer, donating the profits from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers. This donation, totaling over $300,000, provided scholarships and academic help to Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers in Connecticut and the Bronx preschools.

Mitchell maintained his strong stance against racial injustice after the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He extended the conversation into the offseason, participating in a discussion on educational, economic, and social disparities with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris of Philadelphia. He was also appointed to the founding board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, a group that aims to use basketball’s influence to promote awareness, education, and meaningful reform. In addition, through his SPIDACARES organization, Mitchell consistently contributes to those in dire need.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a basketball and community icon in his home region of Northeast Ohio, has taken an active role in supporting local businesses affected by COVID-19. Larry pledged to dedicate each regular season game to raising awareness for pre-selected local businesses, by auctioning his game-worn jerseys and donating all the proceeds. Furthermore, both Larry and his team, the Cavs, have agreed to match the proceeds, thus tripling the donations received by each small business.

Larry’s social media challenge drew hundreds of packages from local businesses eager to be spotlighted during his pregame walk-up. Post-game interviews with the small business owners are also showcased by the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team on Cavs digital platforms, providing fans with a deeper understanding of the business. This further highlights their story across the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise over $222k and generated significant exposure for 72 deserving small businesses as the Cavs’ season concluded. Furthermore, Westfield, a corporate partner of Cavs, matched Larry’s jersey auction’s earnings with an additional $100K donation to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. These organizations both work to support minority-owned businesses. In a separate effort, Larry initiated the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation in 2017 to increase awareness of both diseases among young people and assist them in realizing their athletic potential despite their diagnoses.

During the pandemic, Larry utilized his platform to converse 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 immediately sought to make a difference in the wider Dallas area. He surprised numerous frontline healthcare workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message expressing gratitude for their continuous efforts in ensuring community safety. Richardson also paid a visit to a first-grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, where he surprised and encouraged the students to value reading and education amidst the unique challenges of this school year.

Richardson, son of an Air Force servicewoman, has remained involved with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program offering support and resources to those mourning the death of a servicemember. Over several years, he built a close bond with his mentee, Elijah, through the program. During the festive season, he extended his generosity to over 20 families who have also experienced the loss of a loved one in service, by providing them with gifts.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to make a positive impact on the communities where he resides and plays. Recently, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his birthplace, 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 south Los Angeles. In 2012, Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation with the aim to provide support to at-risk populations, including educational resources, mental health services, and career tools. The foundation also promotes creativity and resilience among young individuals. In November, Westbrook and his foundation joined forces 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 students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, many of whom come from homeless or unstable households. Then in February, Russell partnered with Varo Bank in an advisory role to tackle income disparities through programs aimed at boosting financial literacy within minority communities. Besides his hands-on community involvement, Westbrook has also taken the lead in raising awareness about the numerous injustices Black people in America have experienced throughout history.

In April, Russell revealed that he was producing a documentary about the often overlooked and untaught 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in American history, set to premiere on May 30.

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