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

The NBA is delighted to declare the 10 contenders for the 2020-21 NBA Cares Community Assist Award sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each of these players has demonstrated a remarkable devotion to their community, making a positive difference outside 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 philanthropy. In honor of his brother Adrien, who tragically lost his life to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft, DeAndre’ established AP World. This organization is committed to building safer communities and equipping families with the resources needed to handle and recover from grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, undertaking several charitable initiatives. These include providing Thanksgiving meals for families, donating brand new coats for needy children in collaboration with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto, and giving 500 pairs of new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February in association with Shoes that Fit. Furthermore, in the first week of February, ahead of the National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion as part of an all-athletes panel. Here, he shared his personal story and advocated for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual school assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. The program aims to prevent bullying, racism, and discrimination by fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and empowering students to take action. Bembry’s online presentation was aired to thousands of young people across 100 schools in Ontario. The goal was to teach students how to navigate through difficult times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is participating in a virtual panel for the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 4, where he will share his family’s story. His dedication to safety in the face of gun violence is both undeniable and inspiring, particularly in how he has transformed a tragic event into a foundation that provides support to 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 honored with the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award. The award, presented by Kaiser Permanente, acknowledged his ongoing dedication to assisting youths and families in the wider Phoenix region.

In May, five local nonprofit organizations were pleasantly surprised by Booker at a Suns home game. He announced to them through a pre-recorded in-game address that they were selected as the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. The selected organizations were 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 address their crucial funding needs post-pandemic and to support their work in enhancing the lives of local youth and families. To further celebrate and aid the 2020-21 class, Booker in partnership with Phoenix Suns Charities, launched a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, with the design created by Booker himself. These unique hoodies, available for a limited period, were sold with all proceeds going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five’s second class comprises five organizations. This initiative donates $500,000 annually to various youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, amounting to a total of $2.5 million over five years. The first class, which included Special Olympics Arizona, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers, and Ability 360, received their $100,000 grants at the end of 2019. Besides his Starting Five initiative, Booker has also significantly contributed to the Valley’s youth and families via COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. As a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he actively advocates for inclusion through sports.

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Joel Embiid

Benefiting Charity: Covenant House Pennsylvania

In March, Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers, was awarded the Community Assist Award. In the same month, after being named a starter in the NBA All-Star for the fourth year in a row, Embiid furthered his fight against homelessness in Philadelphia. He did this through a $100,000 donation to three Philadelphia-based organizations – Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. In addition to this, he supplied 15,000 meals to those in need, distributed 4,000 essential clothing items, and offered medical treatment to 1,000 individuals suffering from housing insecurity. He also facilitated access to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless young people and provided shelter for over 300 teens dealing with housing insecurity.

Embiid showed 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 a year’s worth of rent relief.

Over the past year, Embiid has centered a lot of his community work on COVID-19 relief. When the COVID-19 pandemic initially hit, he partnered with Josh Harris and David Blitzer, the 76ers Managing Partners, to donate $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody testing for healthcare workers on the frontline. In a continued show of support for these workers, he committed $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, created by the 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, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

After becoming part of the Bucks team in November, Jrue 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 required the most help. After scrutinizing grant applications, the Holiday family funded seven local businesses in January. 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 range of services in southeastern Wisconsin. These services encompass assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality, and more.

Holiday has also made lasting commitments to help communities that are important to him. This includes his pledge of the rest of his 2020 NBA salary towards establishing The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The aim of this fund is to fight systemic racism and enhance economic equality by offering financial aid and support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier this season, the fund declared its support for 25 non-profits and historically Black institutions, and 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. He received this recognition for his ongoing work to empower youth throughout Portland.

Since his move to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to mentor and invest in local high school students through his RESPECT program. This program is tailored to support, encourage, and celebrate students from three Portland-area high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. In the face of the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, Lillard and his RESPECT program adapted to continue engaging with students. He ensured constant communication through video calls and used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles. Furthermore, as schools transitioned back to physical learning, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the program.

Lillard introduced a special RESPECT edition of his signature Dame7 shoe, exclusively for students in the program. He produced 500 pairs that incorporated the school colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt, and featured the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. The shoes were gifted to the program’s partner schools to reward students who embody these principles. Lillard also sported the sneakers on several occasions during the season. Alongside RESPECT, Lillard maintained his position 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 development of inclusive playgrounds for all abilities throughout Oregon. This year, Astoria was chosen to receive funds to assist in building an all-abilities playground and improving 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, a foundation established by Mills to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians in basketball, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL). The league, designed for players aged 14 and under, was rolled out in eight different locations across Australia. The tournaments not only foster basketball development and life skills education, but also uphold and honor Indigenous cultural practices, promoting mental and physical health and reinforcing personal identity at a crucial age. Moreover, Mills teamed up with the NBA and Jr. NBA to declare the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) set to take place at Queensland’s Gold Coast from April 11-13. This event will offer 48 boys and girls further development opportunities both on and off the court.

Mills has devoted a significant portion of his professional career in the U.S. to supporting Australia, especially in uplifting Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he donated the rest of his 2019-20 season salary to organizations that fight for social justice. Alongside other notable Australian athletes, he initiated the ‘We Got You’ campaign aimed at eradicating 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, courtesy of Kaiser Permanente. This was in recognition of his persistent efforts to promote social justice and education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, Greenwich Country Day School received a $12 million pledge from the Mitchell family, the alma mater of Donovan and his sister Jordan, and where their mother, Nicole, taught for over a decade. This donation is the largest in the school’s history and will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund for students from pre-K-12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund to aid passionate teachers, and the new 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 last summer to benefit the education of Jacob Blake’s children, University of Louisville students of color, and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx. This added up to over $300,000 in scholarships and academic support.

Mitchell maintained his strong stance against racial injustice even after the 2019-20 NBA season restart and throughout the offseason. He joined forces with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia to discuss educational, economic, and social disparities. Mitchell also became a board member of the newly formed National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, an organization aiming to use the influence of basketball to promote awareness, education, and meaningful reform. Through his SPIDACARES organization, Mitchell regularly assists those in greatest need.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a basketball and community star in his home region of Northeast Ohio, has committed to supporting local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, he pledges to donate all proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys, which he uses each regular season game to promote previously chosen local businesses. Both Larry and the Cavs match these proceeds, thereby tripling the amount each small business receives as a donation.

Larry’s social media challenge resulted in him receiving hundreds of packages from local businesses keen on featuring during his pregame walk-up. Furthermore, post-game interviews with these small business owners are showcased by the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team on Cavs digital platforms. This provides fans with a deeper understanding of the businesses and further highlights their story to the Northeast Ohio community.

As the Cavaliers’ season wrapped up, Larry successfully raised over $222k and brought much-needed exposure to 72 small businesses that deserved recognition. In a show of support, the Cavs’ corporate partner, Westfield, matched the funds raised via Larry’s jersey auction and made an additional donation of $100K to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. Both organizations are devoted to supporting minority-owned businesses. On a separate note, in 2017, Larry established the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. This organization aims to raise awareness about both diseases among adolescents and helps children to achieve 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 began, Richardson joined the Mavericks and quickly set about making a difference in the wider Dallas area. He surprised numerous frontline healthcare workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message of gratitude for their tireless work in keeping the community safe. Richardson also paid a surprise visit to a first-grade class at a Dallas Independent School District school as a guest reader, encouraging the students to value reading and education amid the unique challenges of that school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has maintained his involvement with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors – a program dedicated to providing comfort, care, and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over several years, he has cultivated a close bond with his mentee, Elijah, via the program. In the holiday season, he generously gifted over 20 families who have also 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 substantial contributions to the communities where he lives and plays. As he settled into a new team market, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his hometown of Los Angeles. This academy serves students from middle school to high school, enhancing access to educational services and outdoor activities in south Los Angeles. In 2012, Russell established The Why Not? Foundation to offer services to at-risk groups such as education, mental health resources and workforce tools, inspiring young individuals to think creatively, chase their dreams and never quit in spite of obstacles. In November, Russell and his foundation partnered with the L.A. Regional Food Bank for the ninth consecutive year to hand out 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 many pupils from homeless or unstable living conditions. Then, in February, Russell teamed up with Varo Bank in an advisory role to address income disparities. This was done by implementing programs designed to enhance financial literacy within minority communities. Beyond his immediate community outreach, Westbrook has also undertaken the task of educating communities about the various injustices endured by Black people in America throughout history.

In April, Russell announced 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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