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

The NBA is delighted to reveal the ten nominees for the 2020-21 Season’s NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each nominee has demonstrated an outstanding dedication to their community, making a positive influence beyond 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 committed to philanthropic efforts. He established the AP World organization in honor of his brother Adrien, who tragically fell victim to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft. AP World aims to create safer communities and equip families with resources to handle and triumph over grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, participating in numerous charitable activities. These include offering Thanksgiving meals to families, partnering with Operation Warm to supply new coats for needy children in Toronto, and donating 500 new pairs of shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in collaboration with Shoes that Fit. In addition, ahead of the National Gun Violence Survivors week, which takes place in the first week of February, Bembry joined a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athlete panel. He shared his personal story 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 combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It also encourages students to take proactive steps. Bembry’s virtual talk was aired to thousands of young people in over 100 Ontario schools. The goal was to guide students on how to weather tough times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is participating in a Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4, in observance 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. It is commendable how he has transformed a devastating 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 awarded the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This recognition was due to his ongoing efforts to assist youths and families in the wider Phoenix region.

During a Suns home game in May, Booker surprised five local nonprofit organizations. Via a pre-recorded in-game address, he revealed they were selected for the 2020-21 Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. The chosen organizations included Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix. Each received a $100,000 grant from Booker to help meet critical funding needs after the pandemic, and to support their efforts to better the lives of local youth and families. To honor and further assist the 2020-21 class, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities launched a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, featuring the selected nonprofits. These unique hoodies, designed by Booker, were sold for a limited period, with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which donates $500,000 annually to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, has welcomed its second class of five organizations. Over a five-year period, this totals to a donation 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 grants of $100,000 each in late 2019. Besides the Starting Five initiative, Booker has also generously supported youth and families in the Valley through COVID-19 relief efforts and holiday shopping sprees. Furthermore, as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Booker actively promotes inclusion through sport.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

In March, Joel Embiid, center for the Philadelphia 76ers, was recognized with the Community Assist Award. Following his fourth consecutive appointment as an NBA All-Star starter that month, Embiid furthered his work 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 individuals in need, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical care for 1,000 people facing housing insecurity, a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youths, and shelter for over 300 teenagers struggling with housing insecurity.

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 clothing, groceries, and covered their housing rent for the upcoming year.

Embiid has dedicated a significant amount of his community work over the past year towards COVID-19 relief efforts. When the pandemic first hit, he teamed up 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. Embiid continued his support for healthcare workers by pledging $500,000 via the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This campaign is an initiative by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation aimed at providing 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 received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

Following his signing with the Bucks in November, Jrue Holiday and his wife, Lauren, collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their aim was to pinpoint small-scale businesses owned by women and Black individuals that required the most support. After evaluating various grant applications, the Holidays revealed in January that they would be funding 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 in southeastern Wisconsin such as assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality, and more.

Holiday has pledged long-term support to 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 disparity by offering financial aid and backing to Black-led organizations and enterprises. Earlier in the season, the fund declared its support for 25 non-profits and historical 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, a guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was awarded the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This was in recognition of his ongoing efforts to empower the youth of Portland.

Since his arrival in Portland in 2012, Lillard has been dedicated to investing in and mentoring local high-school aged youth through his RESPECT program. This initiative supports, encourages, and celebrates students from three Portland-area high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Amidst the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to continue engaging with students. Lillard made an effort to stay connected with participants remotely through video visits, and used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles. As schools transitioned back to in-person learning, Lillard supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard premiered a unique RESPECT version of his signature Dame7 shoe exclusively for students participating in the program. The 500 pairs that were made included the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose and Roosevelt schools and embodied the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Lillard presented the shoes to RESPECT’s affiliated schools to acknowledge students who are embodying these principles and wore the sneakers on multiple occasions during the season. Furthermore, he maintained his role as 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 towards the creation of all-inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, funds have been allocated to the city of Astoria to aid in the construction of an all-abilities playground and improve 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 established by Mills to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians in basketball. The league, which is held in eight different locations across Australia, not only promotes basketball skills but also life skills education. It emphasizes mental and physical well-being and the reinforcement of personal identity at a crucial age, all while preserving and celebrating Indigenous cultural practices. In a further development, Mills teamed up with the NBA and the Jr. NBA to organize the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) on the Gold Coast in Queensland from April 11-13. This event will offer 48 boys and girls additional opportunities for on- and off-court development.

Mills has spent a significant portion of his professional career in the U.S. committed to giving back to Australia, particularly in empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he used the rest of his 2019-20 season earnings to support social justice organizations and initiated the ‘We Got You’ movement in partnership with other prominent Australian athletes, aimed at eradicating racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Following the catastrophic Australian bushfires earlier that year, Mills coordinated a $750,000 donation from nine Australian NBA players.

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Donovan Mitchell

Benefiting Charity: Children’s Village

The Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente was given to Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell for his ongoing work in promoting social justice and advocating for education between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, the Mitchell family made a generous donation of $12 million to the Greenwich Country Day School – the alma mater of Donovan and his sister Jordan, and the place where their mother, Nicole, taught for over ten years. This was the largest single donation the school has received in its history. The funds will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund, which will support students from pre-K to 12th grade, as well as the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund, to help teachers who show the same dedication to teaching as Nicole. They will also fund a new athletic center, named the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, this past summer, Mitchell donated the earnings from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers to further support education. This included scholarships for Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx, amounting to over $300,000 in scholarships and academic support.

Mitchell maintained his strong stance against racial injustice beyond the 2019-20 NBA season restart, engaging in offseason discussions with then-vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum from Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia. They discussed educational, economic, and social disparities. Mitchell was also appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. The Coalition aims to utilize the popularity of basketball to raise awareness, impart knowledge, and push for significant reform. Additionally, Mitchell consistently supports the less fortunate through his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a beloved basketball and community figure in his hometown of Northeast Ohio, has taken steps to aid local small businesses suffering due to the impact of COVID-19. He has pledged to donate all proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys for each regular season game to pre-chosen local businesses. The contribution is tripled as both Larry and the Cavaliers match the funds raised.

Larry’s social media challenge drew in hundreds of packages from local businesses hoping to be highlighted during his pregame walk-up. Furthermore, post-game interviews with these small business owners are presented by the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team on Cavs digital platforms. This gives fans a deeper insight into the businesses and extensively promotes their story throughout the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry successfully raised more than $222k and garnered significant exposure for 72 deserving small businesses as the Cavs season ended. Furthermore, Cavs corporate partner Westfield matched the funds raised from Larry’s jersey auction by donating an additional $100K to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. Both organizations support minority-owned businesses. Apart from this, in 2017, Larry established the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. The foundation aims to raise awareness of both diseases among adolescents and helps children to achieve their athletic potential, despite these diagnoses.

Throughout the pandemic, Larry utilized his platform to delve into the mental and physiological effects of COVID-19 on individuals with pre-existing auto-immune disorders.

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Josh Richardson

Benefiting Charity: Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

Shortly before the commencement of the 2020-21 season, Richardson joined the Mavericks and was quick to make a significant influence in the larger 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 continuous efforts to ensure the safety of the community. Richardson also made a guest appearance in a first grade class of Dallas Independent School District as a reader, surprising the students and motivating them to value reading and education amid the unique challenges of this school year.

The son of an Air Force servicewoman, Richardson has maintained his involvement with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This organization offers comfort, care, and resources to those mourning the loss of a military servicemember. Over several years, he has nurtured a close bond with his mentee, Elijah, via the program. During the festive season, he extended his generosity by providing gifts to over 20 families who have also experienced the loss of a loved one in the service.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook is leaving his mark 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 hometown of Los Angeles. This academy serves middle and high school students, improving access to educational services and outdoor opportunities for children and the broader community in south LA. Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation in 2012 with the aim of providing at-risk populations with services such as education, mental health resources, and workforce tools. The foundation encourages young people to be creative, pursue their dreams, and never give up, no matter the challenges 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 conducted a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all the students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School. This school serves a large number of students from homeless or unstable living conditions. Later, in February, he joined Varo Bank as an advisor, aiming to address income disparities by implementing programs to enhance financial literacy within the minority community. Besides his direct community support, Westbrook has also been proactive in educating communities about the various inequities Black individuals have faced in America throughout history.

In April, Russell revealed 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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