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

The NBA is thrilled to unveil the 10 contenders for the 2020-21 NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each one of these athletes has demonstrated an exceptional 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

Since his initiation into the NBA, DeAndre’ Bembry has shown a deep commitment to philanthropy. 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. AP World is devoted to fostering safer communities and offering resources to help families deal with and recover from grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively engaged with AP World. His contributions include providing Thanksgiving meals for families, distributing new coats to children in need in collaboration with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto, and donating 500 brand-new pairs of shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in association with Shoes that Fit. Furthermore, at the start of February, during National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion. In this all-athlete panel, he shared his personal experiences and advocated for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. This program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering an atmosphere of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and encouraging students to take stand. Bembry’s online presentation reached thousands of young people from 100 schools in Ontario, showing them how to confront challenges and emerge stronger.

Bembry is participating in a virtual panel for Wear Orange as part of the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 4th, sharing his family’s story. His dedication to safety in relation to gun violence is not only unquestionable, but also inspiring as he has transformed a tragic event into a foundation that assists 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 award acknowledges his ongoing dedication to helping youth and families in the wider Phoenix region.

In May, Booker made a surprise announcement at a Suns home game, revealing the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative to five local nonprofit organizations through a pre-recorded in-game message. The chosen 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. The grants were intended to alleviate the financial strain caused by the pandemic and support each organization’s mission to better the lives of local youth and families. To further celebrate and support the 2020-21 class, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities released a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, designed by Booker himself. The hoodies were sold for a limited time with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five initiative donates an annual sum of $500,000 to five different youth-centered nonprofits in Arizona. The second class of this initiative involves five organizations. Over a span of five years, the total donation amounts to $2.5 million. The initiative’s first class comprised of Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers, and Ability 360. These organizations received their $100,000 grants in late 2019. Apart from his Starting Five program, Booker has also significantly contributed towards COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees for youth and families across the Valley. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he fervently promotes inclusivity through 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. Following his fourth consecutive selection as an NBA All-Star starter that same month, Embiid persisted in his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia. His contributions included a $100,000 donation divided amongst three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Additionally, Embiid provided meals for 15,000 individuals, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical treatment for 1,000 people with housing insecurity, a six-week summer camp for 50 youths experiencing homelessness, and shelter for over 300 teenagers afflicted by housing insecurity.

Embiid offered his help to local community members significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He aided five families, presenting each with gifts and clothing, groceries, and a year’s worth of rent relief.

Over the past year, Embiid has concentrated much of his community work on COVID-19 relief. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, 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. In further support of healthcare professionals, he pledged $500,000 via the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, a collaboration between 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

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.

In November, after enlisting with the Bucks, Jrue and his wife, Lauren, collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. They aimed to identify small businesses, particularly those owned by women and Black individuals, that needed the most help. Upon assessing grant applications, the Holiday family revealed in January that they were funding 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, based in southeastern Wisconsin, offer a range of services such as assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health, substance abuse services, hospitality, among others.

Holiday has also dedicated himself to helping communities that hold significance to him, including promising the rest of his 2020 NBA earnings for the creation of The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. This fund aims to fight systemic racism and enhance economic inequality, by offering financial backing and support to organizations and businesses led by Black individuals. Earlier during this season, the fund declared its support for 25 non-profit organizations and historically Black institutions, along with 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 honored with the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. The award acknowledges his ongoing work to uplift and empower the youth of Portland.

Since relocating to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to mentoring and investing in the city’s high school-aged youth through his RESPECT program. This initiative supports, encourages, and celebrates students at three local high schools: McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Amid the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to continue engaging with students. Lillard made a commitment to stay in touch with participants through video visits, using his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embody 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 unveiled a unique edition of his signature Dame7 shoe, the RESPECT edition, solely for students in the program. The 500 pairs produced incorporated the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools and highlighted the three principles of RESPECT: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Lillard gifted these shoes to RESPECT’s affiliated schools to commend students embodying these principles. He also sported these sneakers multiple times during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard maintained his ambassador role for the Moda Assist Program, a partnership with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program donates $20 for every assist made during the season towards the creation of all-ability inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, the city of Astoria was chosen to receive these funds to aid in building 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.

Indigenous Basketball Australia, founded by Mills to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians to engage in basketball, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) in February. The ICBL, for players aged 14 and under, took place in eight locations across Australia. The tournaments, in addition to fostering basketball skills, prioritized the preservation and celebration of Indigenous cultural practices, mental and physical health, and the strengthening of personal identities during a crucial age. Further, Mills collaborated with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) at Queensland’s Gold Coast from April 11-13. This tournament will offer 48 boys and girls extra on- and off-court development chances.

Mills has devoted a significant portion of his professional career in the United States to philanthropic efforts in Australia, particularly aimed at uplifting Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he contributed the rest of his 2019-20 season salary to organizations focused on social justice and initiated the ‘We Got You’ campaign alongside other notable Australian athletes. This campaign is committed to eradicating racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Furthermore, Mills facilitated a donation of $750,000 from nine Australian NBA players in response to the severe Australian bushfires that occurred 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, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award recognizes his ongoing commitment to promoting social justice and advocating for education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, Donovan and Jordan Mitchell’s family donated $12 million to their former school, Greenwich Country Day School, where their mother, Nicole, was a long-term teacher. This donation is the largest in the school’s history and will establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund for students from pre-K to 12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund for dedicated teachers, and the new D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Moreover, this past summer, Mitchell donated the profits from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers, 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.

Mitchell, who was resolute in his commitment to address racial injustice during the 2019-20 NBA season restart, kept the conversation going in the offseason. He collaborated with then vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris of Philadelphia for a discourse on educational, economic, and social disparities. Mitchell was also appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. This organization aims to use the influence of the game to promote awareness, provide education, and champion substantial reform. In addition, Mitchell consistently contributes to those in dire need through his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Hailing from Northeast Ohio, Larry Nance Jr. is celebrated both for his basketball skills and his contributions to the community. In an effort to mitigate the damaging effects of COVID-19 on small businesses, Larry pledged to use each regular season game as a platform to boost pre-chosen local businesses. He does this by donating all the proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys. Larry and the Cavaliers both match these proceeds, effectively tripling the donation each small business receives.

Larry received hundreds of packages from local businesses keen to feature in his pregame walk-up, thanks to his social media challenge. Moreover, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with these small business owners. These interviews are showcased on Cavs digital platforms, providing fans with a comprehensive insight into the business. It also helps to promote their story across the Northeast Ohio community.

When the Cavs season ended, Larry successfully raised over $222k and helped promote 72 worthy small businesses. Moreover, Cavs’ corporate ally Westfield matched Larry’s jersey auction contributions with an additional $100k, which was donated to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. Both these organizations aid minority-owned businesses. Separately, Larry initiated the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation in 2017. The foundation’s aim is to increase awareness of the two diseases among teenagers and aid children in realizing their athletic potential, 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 2020-21 season began, Richardson joined the Mavericks and immediately endeavored to make a difference in the wider Dallas region. He astonished numerous frontline health care workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center by gifting them Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message expressing gratitude for their continuous work to ensure the safety of the community. Furthermore, he visited a first-grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, surprising the students and promoting the importance of reading and education, especially during this challenging school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, persistently collaborates with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program that offers support, care, and resources to families and friends mourning the loss of a military servicemember. He has nurtured a strong bond with his mentee, Elijah, over several years within the program. During the festive season, he generously provided gifts to over 20 families who, like him, have experienced the loss of a loved one in service.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to make a significant impact in the communities where he lives and plays. As he adjusts to a new team market, he has collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his native Los Angeles. Aimed at middle school and high school students, the academy aims to improve access to educational services and outdoor activities for children and the wider community in south Los Angeles. In 2012, Westbrook established The Why Not? Foundation with the primary objective of providing support to at-risk groups, including education, mental health resources, and workforce tools. The foundation encourages young people to think creatively, chase their dreams, and never give in, regardless of the obstacles 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 organized a unique Christmas sneaker giveaway for all students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, which caters to numerous students from homeless or unstable living conditions. In February, he took on an advisory role with Varo Bank to help address income disparities by enhancing financial literacy programs within minority communities. Besides his direct community involvement, Westbrook has also been proactive in educating communities about the various injustices Black people in America have endured throughout history.

In April, Russell made an announcement that he was working on a documentary about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event that is frequently ignored and not taught in American history. The documentary is set to premiere on May 30.

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