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

The NBA is delighted to declare the ten contenders for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the 2020-21 season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each one of these players has demonstrated an outstanding dedication to their community and making a beneficial difference outside of 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 aims to foster safer communities and equip families with the necessary resources to cope with and conquer grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, participating in several charitable activities. These include providing Thanksgiving meals for families, distributing brand new coats to needy kids 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 cooperation with Shoes that Fit. Additionally, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athletes panel. This was ahead of National Gun Violence Survivors week in the first week of February, where he shared his story and advocated for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a digital school assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. This program is aimed at preventing bullying, discrimination, and racism while promoting a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It also empowers students to take action. Bembry’s online presentation was transmitted to thousands of young individuals across 100 schools in Ontario. The goal was to demonstrate to students how they can navigate through 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 dedication towards safety in the face of gun violence is both unquestionable and inspiring, particularly in how he has transformed a tragic event into a foundation that aids 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 by Kaiser Permanente. This was in acknowledgement of his ongoing dedication to aiding young people and families in the broader Phoenix area.

At a Suns home game in May, Booker made a surprise announcement to five local nonprofit organizations. Through a pre-recorded in-game message, he revealed that they were the 2020-21 recipients of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. Each of these organizations, which include Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix, received a $100,000 grant from Booker. These funds are to help address their crucial funding needs in the wake of the pandemic and to support their work in improving the lives of local youth and families. To further celebrate and benefit the 2020-21 class, a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie was created in collaboration with Phoenix Suns Charities. Designed by Booker himself, these unique hoodies were available for a limited time, with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The five organizations belong to the second tier of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which donates $500,000 each year to five distinct youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, amounting to a total of $2.5 million over a span of five years. The beneficiaries of the first round – 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. Beyond his Starting Five initiative, Booker has extended substantial support to youth and families in the Valley through COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he actively advocates for inclusion via sport.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

In March, Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers, was bestowed with the Community Assist Award. The NBA All-Star starter, for his fourth year in a row, furthered his efforts to fight homelessness in Philadelphia. He did so by making a donation of $100,000 to three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. In addition to this, Embiid provided 15,000 meals for those in need, 4,000 essential clothing items, 1,000 housing insecure individuals received medical treatment, and he provided access to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youths. He also provided shelter for over 300 teenagers faced with housing instability.

Embiid showed his support for members of the local community by helping five families who were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided each family with gifts and clothing, groceries, and rent relief for the coming year.

Over the past year, Embiid’s community work has largely centered on COVID-19 relief. When the pandemic began, Embiid, alongside 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, made a contribution of $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody testing for frontline healthcare staff. In his ongoing support for these workers, he donated $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign, a project by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, aimed at supplying personal protective equipment 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 presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Upon joining the Bucks in November, Jrue and his wife Lauren teamed up with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation to pinpoint small businesses owned by women and Black individuals that were the most in need of help. The Holiday family assessed grant applications and in January, they revealed they would be funding seven local businesses. These businesses – 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 – offer a wide range of services in southeastern Wisconsin. This includes assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality, and more.

Holiday has also taken long-term steps to support 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 boost economic equality by giving financial aid and support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, the fund declared its support for 25 non-profits 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 awarded the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award honors his ongoing work to inspire and empower youth in Portland.

Since his arrival in Portland in 2012, Lillard has been dedicated to mentoring and investing in the local youth through his RESPECT program. This program supports, encourages, and celebrates students from three high schools in the Portland area: McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Amidst the challenges of the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning in this year, RESPECT adapted to continue engaging with the students. Lillard maintained remote contact with the participants 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, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard introduced a special RESPECT variant of his signature Dame7 shoe, designed exclusively for students in the program. The 500 pairs produced included the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools and highlighted the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Lillard bestowed these shoes upon RESPECT’s partner schools as rewards for students embodying these principles, and he sported these sneakers several times during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard maintained his ambassadorship for the Moda Assist Program, a collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers, that contributes $20 per assist during the season to support the construction of all-inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, Astoria has been chosen to receive funds for the creation of 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, a venture initiated by Mills to facilitate Aboriginal Australians’ participation in 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 fostered the development of basketball skills but also emphasized life skills education, including mental and physical health, and personal identity strengthening, particularly crucial at this age. Additionally, they helped to preserve and promote Indigenous cultural practices. Moreover, Mills collaborated 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. The event offered 48 boys and girls additional chances for on- and off-court growth.

Much of Mills’ professional career in the United States has been devoted to contributing back to Australia, particularly in empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he donated the rest of his 2019-20 season salary to organizations fighting for social justice. Alongside other notable Australian athletes, he assisted in the initiation of the ‘We Got You’ campaign, aiming to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. In response to 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

Donovan Mitchell, a guard for the Utah Jazz, was awarded the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This honor recognizes his ongoing work to promote social justice and advocate for education from the 2019-20 to the 2020-21 NBA seasons.

The Mitchell family made a historic donation of $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School in December. This school is the alma mater of Donovan and his sister Jordan, and where their mother, Nicole, taught for over ten years. The donation, the largest single gift in the school’s history, will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund to help students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. It will also create the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund, which will support teachers who share Nicole’s passion for teaching. A new athletic center, the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center, will also be built with the donation. During the previous summer, Mitchell donated the earnings from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers sales, amounting to over $300,000, to support the education of Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx. These funds were used for scholarships and academic assistance.

Maintaining his steadfast commitment to address racial injustice, Mitchell continued the dialogue during the 2019-20 NBA season restart and the subsequent offseason. He participated in a discussion on educational, economic, and social disparities along with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, Portland’s CJ McCollum, and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris. Additionally, Mitchell was appointed to the founding board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. The organization aims to use the influence of basketball to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for significant reform. Mitchell also consistently supports those in need via his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a respected basketball figure and community hero from Northeast Ohio, has committed to assisting local businesses that have been severely affected by COVID-19. He pledged to donate all proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys to these businesses, with each regular season game specifically focusing on pre-selected ones. Additionally, both Nance Jr. and the Cavs are matching the proceeds, thereby tripling the donation each small business receives.

Larry amassed hundreds of packages from local businesses eager to be spotlighted during his pregame walk-up, thanks to his social media challenge. In addition, post-game interviews with the small business owners are showcased by the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team on Cavs digital platforms. This not only provides fans with a deeper understanding of the business, but also broadens their visibility within the Northeast Ohio community.

As the Cavaliers’ season ended, Larry successfully raised more than $222k, providing crucial visibility for 72 worthy small businesses. Moreover, the Cavaliers’ corporate partner, Westfield, matched the funds Larry raised through his jersey auction, contributing an additional $100K to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. Both organizations are dedicated to supporting minority-owned businesses. Back in 2017, Larry also established the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation, an initiative focused on increasing awareness about both diseases among young people, and assisting children in achieving their athletic dreams despite their diagnoses.

During 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 2020-21 season commenced, Richardson joined the Mavericks and promptly endeavored to make a significant contribution in the wider Dallas area. He astounded numerous frontline health care workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center by gifting them with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message expressing gratitude for their continuous efforts to safeguard the community. Richardson also made a surprise visit to a first grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader. He encouraged the students to embrace reading and education, particularly during this challenging school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has been actively involved with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program that offers support and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has fostered a strong bond with his mentee, Elijah, through this program. During the festive season, Richardson went on to provide gifts to over 20 families who, like him, had lost a loved one in service.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to impact the communities where he lives and plays. He recently collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his hometown, Los Angeles. This academy aims to improve access to education services and outdoor activities for middle and high school students and the wider community in south Los Angeles. Westbrook started The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, with the aim of providing services to at-risk groups, including education, mental health resources, and workforce tools. The foundation encourages young people to be creative, follow their dreams, and never give up, regardless of the challenges they face. In November, Westbrook and his foundation partnered 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, a school that educates many students from homeless or unstable living situations. In February, Russell teamed up with Varo Bank in an advisory role to address income disparities by implementing programs to enhance financial literacy in minority communities. Beyond his direct outreach efforts, Westbrook has also made strides in educating communities about the various inequalities Black people in America have faced throughout history.

In April, Russell announced that he was producing a documentary on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a frequently ignored and uneducated event in American history, set to premiere on May 30.

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