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

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

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since his NBA career inception, DeAndre’ Bembry has been committed to philanthropic endeavors. 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 is committed to fostering safer communities and offering resources to families grappling with grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, engaging in various initiatives such as providing Thanksgiving meals to families, distributing brand new coats to children in need in collaboration with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto, and donating 500 pairs of brand-new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in partnership with Shoes that Fit. In the first week of February, which marked National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry participated in a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athlete panel, sharing his personal story and advocating for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ Bembry took part in a virtual assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. The program aims to stop bullying, racism, and discrimination by fostering an environment of equality, diversity, and inclusion and encouraging students to take a stand. Bembry’s virtual speech was transmitted to thousands of youngsters in 100 schools across Ontario, with the goal of teaching them how to navigate through difficult times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is set to take part in a Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4, in conjunction with the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, where he will share his family’s story. His dedication to gun safety, borne out of a tragic event, is both commendable and inspiring. Bembry’s transformation of his personal tragedy into a foundation that aids other families dealing with grief is a testament to his resilience.

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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 recognizes his ongoing dedication to assisting young people and families in the larger Phoenix community.

In May, during a Suns home game, Booker announced the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative to five local nonprofit organizations, surprising them with a pre-recorded, in-game address. The organizations, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix, each received a $100,000 grant from Booker. These funds will help address the critical financial needs that arose due to the pandemic, and support the organizations in their efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families. To further honor and aid the 2020-21 class, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities developed a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie which highlights the selected nonprofits. These unique hoodies, designed by Booker, were available for purchase for a limited time, with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which gives an annual donation of $500,000 to five distinct Arizona-based nonprofits catering to the youth, has announced its second class of organizations. Over a span of five years, the total donation will amount to $2.5 million. The first group of beneficiaries — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360— were granted $100,000 each in late 2019. Besides the Starting Five program, Booker has made substantial contributions towards youth and family support across the Valley, including COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he is an active advocate for inclusion in sports.

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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. This followed his fourth consecutive selection as an NBA All-Star starter. Embiid continued his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia, donating $100,000 to three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Moreover, he supplied 15,000 meals, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical assistance for 1,000 individuals with housing instability, access to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youngsters, and shelter for over 300 housing insecure teens.

Embiid expressed his support for the local community by helping five families who were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided each family with gifts, clothing, groceries, as well as rent relief for the upcoming year.

A significant portion of Embiid’s community service in the past year has been centered around COVID-19 relief. When the pandemic first struck, Embiid partnered with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to donate $1.3 million to Penn Medicine. The funds were used to develop antibody testing for frontline healthcare workers. In his ongoing commitment to supporting these workers, he pledged $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This campaign is an initiative of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation. The funds were used to supply 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, presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Following his November move to the Bucks, Jrue and his spouse Lauren teamed up with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their goal was to pinpoint small businesses owned by women and Black individuals that required the most help. Having examined various grant applications, in January, the Holiday family declared their financial support for 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. These businesses offer a wide range of services throughout southeastern Wisconsin such as hospitality, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, assisted living, home health care, and more.

Holiday has also shown his dedication to helping communities that matter to him by making long-term commitments. This includes dedicating the rest of his 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The aim of this fund is to fight systemic racism and promote economic equality by offering financial support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, the fund pledged to support 25 non-profit organizations and historically 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 acknowledged with the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award was given in recognition of his ongoing efforts to empower the youth of Portland.

Since moving to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to mentorship and investment in local high school students through his RESPECT program. The program supports, encourages, and celebrates students from three Portland-area high schools: McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. In the wake of the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, RESPECT adapted to continue engaging students. Lillard committed to video visits for remote interaction with participants and used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles. As schools resumed in-person classes, he supplied RESPECT branded face masks for program participants, including students and staff.

Lillard launched a special RESPECT edition of his Dame7 shoe exclusively for students in the program. The three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind, were incorporated into the 500 pairs produced, which featured McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt school colors. These shoes were gifted by Lillard to RESPECT’s partner schools as a reward for students who abide by each principle and he wore the sneakers several times throughout the season. Alongside RESPECT, Lillard maintained his ambassador role for the Moda Assist Program, in collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. The program donates $20 per assist made during the season to fund the creation of all-ability inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, Astoria has been chosen to receive funds to aid in building an all-abilities playground and 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 Indigenous Basketball Australia, an organization established by Mills to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians in basketball, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) for players aged 14 and under. This took place in eight locations across Australia. The tournaments not only preserve and celebrate Indigenous cultural practices but also emphasize basketball skills development and life skills education. This includes mental and physical well-being and reinforcing individual identity at a crucial age. Furthermore, Mills collaborated with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) set to take place at the Gold Coast in Queensland from April 11-13. This will offer further developmental opportunities both on and off the court for 48 boys and girls.

Mills has spent a significant portion of his professional playing career in the U.S. making contributions to Australia, specifically by empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he gave the rest of his 2019-20 season salary to social justice organizations and worked with other well-known Australian athletes to kickstart the ‘We Got You’ campaign, aimed at tackling racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Mills was also responsible for rallying nine Australian NBA players to donate a total of $750,000 following the destructive Australian bushfires earlier that year.

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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 by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognizes his ongoing efforts to promote social justice and education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

The Mitchell family, in December, donated $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, the biggest single donation in the school’s history. This is the school where Nicole Mitchell, mother of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell, taught for over a decade and where the siblings graduated. The funds will establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund to support students from pre-K to 12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund to assist passionate teachers, and the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, Mitchell donated the profits from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers over the summer, amounting to over $300,000. These funds will provide scholarships and educational aid for Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers in Connecticut and Bronx preschools.

Mitchell persevered in his outspoken stance against racial injustice during the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He took the dialogue into the offseason, partnering with then vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia. Their focus was on discussing educational, economic, and social disparities. Mitchell was also appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. This coalition will utilize the basketball’s sway to increase awareness, provide education and lobby for significant changes. In addition, through his SPIDACARES organization, Mitchell routinely contributes to those who are most in need.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a beloved basketball and community figure in his home region of Northeast Ohio, has committed himself to support local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He has decided to donate all the auction proceeds from his game-worn jerseys for each regular season game to pre-selected local businesses. Furthermore, both Nance Jr. and the Cavaliers are matching the proceeds, which triples the donation each small business receives.

Larry’s social media challenge saw him receive hundreds of packages from local businesses eager to be spotlighted during his pregame walk-up. Furthermore, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with the small business owners, which they feature on Cavs’ digital platforms. This gives fans a detailed insight into the business and allows for a broader display of their story within the Northeast Ohio community.

As the season for the Cavaliers ended, Larry succeeded in raising more than $222k and provided significant exposure for 72 deserving small enterprises. Moreover, Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched the amount 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 businesses owned by minorities. On a different note, in 2017, Larry established the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation with the goals of increasing awareness of both diseases among teenagers, and assisting children in achieving their athletic potential despite these diagnoses.

During the pandemic, Larry utilized his platform to talk about the mental and physical effects that 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 commencement of the 2020-21 season, Richardson joined the Mavericks and immediately aimed to make a difference in the wider Dallas area. He surprised numerous frontline health care workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center by presenting them with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video of gratitude for their continuous work in safeguarding the community. In addition, he made a surprise visit to a first-grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, inspiring the students to value reading and education amidst the unique challenges of this academic year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has maintained his involvement with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program offering support and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has nurtured a close bond with his mentee, Elijah, through this program. Additionally, during the holiday season, he extended his generosity to over 20 families who have similarly suffered 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 is leaving a lasting impact on the communities he is part of, both as a resident and a player. Upon joining a new team market, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his birthplace of Los Angeles. The academy caters to middle and high school students, providing enhanced access to education and outdoor activities for children and the wider south Los Angeles community. Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, aiming to cater to at-risk populations by offering education, mental health resources, and workforce tools. The foundation also motivates young individuals to think creatively, chase their dreams, and persevere despite challenges. Last November, Westbrook and his foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank for the ninth year in a row to provide 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 learners from homeless or insecure housing situations. In February, he partnered with Varo Bank as an advisor, aiming to address income disparity through initiatives enhancing financial literacy in minority communities. Apart from his direct involvement in community outreach, Westbrook has also been proactive in raising awareness about the historical and ongoing inequities faced by African Americans in the United States.

In April, Russell declared his involvement in producing a documentary about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event frequently ignored and not taught in American history. The documentary is set to premiere on May 30.

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