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

The NBA is delighted to declare the ten candidates up for the 2020-21 Season’s NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. These players have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their communities and made a significant positive difference outside the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since his NBA debut, DeAndre’ Bembry has been committed to philanthropy. In tribute to his brother Adrien, who tragically lost his life to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft, DeAndre’ established the AP World organization. The organization’s mission is to foster safer communities and support families with resources to cope with and surmount grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, contributing to several charitable activities. These included providing Thanksgiving meals to families, distributing brand new coats to needy children in Toronto in collaboration with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid, and donating 500 pairs of brand-new shoes to Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in association with Shoes that Fit. In addition, ahead of National Gun Violence Survivors week in February, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athlete panel, where he shared his experiences and advocated for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ engaged in an online school assembly for Toronto’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. The program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering an environment of equality, diversity, and inclusivity, and by encouraging students to take a stand. Bembry’s online presentation was streamed to thousands of young individuals in 100 schools across Ontario, with the goal of demonstrating to students how to weather difficult periods 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 not only undeniable but also inspiring. It is heartening to see how he has transformed a tragic event into a foundation that provides 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, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges his enduring dedication to aiding young people and families in the larger Phoenix area.

In May, during a Suns home game, Booker took everyone by surprise when he announced five local nonprofit organizations as the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative via a pre-recorded in-game address. The selected nonprofits, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix, each received a $100,000 grant from Booker. This grant is meant to help meet their critical funding needs post-pandemic and support their missions to enhance the lives of local youth and families. To further honor and support the 2020-21 class, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities came up with a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie that features the chosen nonprofits. The exclusive hoodies, designed by Booker himself, were sold for a limited period, with all the proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which annually donates $500,000 to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, has welcomed its second class of organizations. The initiative will contribute a total of $2.5 million over five years. The first class, which included 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 at the end of 2019. In addition to his Starting Five initiative, Booker offers considerable support to local youth and families, including COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. Additionally, as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Booker actively advocates for 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. The honor came in the same month he was named an NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year running. Embiid maintained his commitment to fighting homelessness in Philadelphia with a generous donation of $100,000 to three local charities: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Furthermore, he supplied 15,000 meals for those in need, provided 4,000 key clothing items, funded medical treatment for 1,000 people with insecure housing, facilitated access to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless young people, and offered shelter to over 300 teenagers dealing with housing instability.

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, clothes, groceries, and a year’s worth of rent relief.

Embiid has concentrated a large part of his community efforts in the past year on COVID-19 relief. As the pandemic began, he teamed up 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. In his ongoing support for these workers, he committed $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, backed by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global and the CAA Foundation, aims to supply frontline workers with PPE.

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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.

Upon joining the Bucks in November, Jrue Holiday and his wife Lauren teamed up with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their aim was to identify small businesses owned by women and Black individuals that needed the most help. After evaluating grant applications, the Holidays announced in January that they would be funding seven local businesses. These were 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 others.

Holiday has committed to helping communities that matter to him in the long term. 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 assistance 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 recognizes his ongoing work to empower the youth of Portland.

Since relocating to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to mentoring and investing in local teenagers through his RESPECT program. This initiative supports, encourages, and celebrates students from three Portland high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. In the face of the global pandemic and the transition to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to keep students engaged. Lillard has remained connected with participants through video calls and spotlighted students and teachers who embody the program’s values on his social media platforms. As schools resumed in-person classes, he supplied RESPECT-branded masks for students and staff involved in the program.

Lillard introduced a special edition of his Dame7 shoe, the RESPECT edition, specifically for the students in the program. The 500 pairs created included the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools and showcased the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. These shoes were gifted to students who exemplified these principles by Lillard, who also wore the sneakers on multiple occasions during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard continued his ambassadorial role for the Moda Assist Program, in collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program donates $20 for each assist made during the season towards the creation of inclusive playgrounds for all abilities throughout Oregon. This year, Astoria was chosen to receive funds to aid in the construction of an all-abilities playground, thereby 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.

In February, Indigenous Basketball Australia, 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 different locations throughout Australia. These tournaments not only celebrate and preserve Indigenous cultural practices but also emphasize basketball skill development and education in life skills. This includes mental and physical health, as well as reinforcing individual identity during a crucial developmental age. Furthermore, Mills collaborated with the NBA and the Jr. NBA to publicize the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) happening on the Gold Coast in Queensland from April 11-13. This event will offer further development opportunities both on and off the court for 48 boys and girls.

Mills has spent a significant portion of his professional career in the U.S., focusing on giving back to Australia, particularly for the empowerment of Indigenous youth and people of color. He donated the rest of his 2019-20 season salary to social justice organizations in 2020 and played a key role in initiating the ‘We Got You’ campaign. This campaign, a joint effort with other esteemed Australian athletes, aims 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 fellow 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, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This recognition was for his ongoing work to promote social justice and education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, the Mitchell family made a $12 million donation to Greenwich Country Day School – the alma mater of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell, and where their mother, Nicole, taught for over a decade. This donation, the largest in the school’s history, will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund for pre-K-12th grade students. It will also support the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund, assisting teachers who share Nicole’s enthusiasm for teaching, and the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, Mitchell donated the earnings from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers this past summer. These funds, exceeding $300,000, supported the education of Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and preschool teachers in Connecticut and the Bronx via scholarships and academic assistance.

Mitchell remained committed to addressing racial injustice even after the 2019-20 NBA season restart, extending the conversation into the offseason. He participated in a discussion on educational, economic, and social disparities alongside vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris of Philadelphia. In addition, Mitchell was appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. This organization aims to use the influence of basketball to raise awareness, educate, and campaign for significant reform. Mitchell also consistently supports the most vulnerable via his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a well-known basketball and community figure in his hometown of Northeast Ohio, has taken a stand to support local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He pledged that every regular season game would be an opportunity to uplift chosen local businesses, by auctioning off his game-worn jerseys and donating all proceeds to these businesses. Larry, along with the Cavaliers, matches these proceeds, effectively tripling each donation received by the small businesses.

Larry’s social media challenge attracted hundreds of packages from local businesses eager to be highlighted during his pregame walk-up. Furthermore, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with these small business owners. These interviews are then shared on Cavs digital platforms, providing fans with a deeper understanding of the business and further promoting their story throughout the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise over $222k and provided considerable exposure for 72 deserving small businesses as the Cavs season ended. Cavs corporate partner Westfield also matched the money raised through Larry’s jersey auction with a further $100K donation to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. These organizations support minority-owned businesses. In a separate initiative, Larry set up the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation in 2017. This foundation focuses on raising awareness of both diseases among adolescents and encouraging children to pursue their athletic dreams despite 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 commencement of the 2020-21 season, Richardson joined the Mavericks and immediately aimed to make a significant contribution in the wider Dallas community. He surprised numerous frontline healthcare staff from UT Southwestern Medical Center with gifts of Reebok sneakers and team merchandise, along with a surprise video expressing gratitude for their continued efforts in community safety. Richardson also visited a first-grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, startling the students and inspiring them to value reading and education amidst the unique challenges of the ongoing school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has consistently been involved with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This program offers comfort, care, and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has fostered a close bond with his mentee, Elijah, through the program. During the holiday season, he generously gifted over 20 families, who have also experienced the loss of a servicemember, with presents.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to use his influence to benefit the communities where he lives and works. Upon joining a new team, Westbrook collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his Los Angeles hometown. The academy aims to provide middle and high school students, as well as the broader south Los Angeles community, with greater access to educational services and outdoor activities. Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, which is dedicated to providing services such as education, mental health resources, and workforce tools to at-risk populations. The foundation encourages youth to think creatively, pursue their dreams, and remain resilient despite challenges. 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 organized a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School. This institution caters to a majority of students from homeless or unstable housing. Then, in February, he joined Varo Bank as an advisor, aiming to address income disparities through programs designed to enhance financial literacy among minority communities. Besides his direct community engagement, Westbrook has been proactive in enlightening communities about the numerous injustices endured by Black people in America throughout history.

In April, Russell revealed that he was working on a documentary about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a frequently ignored and uneducated event in American history. The documentary will premiere on May 30.

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