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

The NBA is delighted to reveal the ten candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award 2020-21 Season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each nominee has displayed an extraordinary commitment to contributing positively to their community beyond the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since joining the NBA, DeAndre’ Bembry has committed himself 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 dedicated to building safer communities and offering families resources to cope with and conquer grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively engaged with AP World, undertaking various philanthropic initiatives. This includes providing Thanksgiving meals for families, collaborating with Operation Warm for Children’s Aid in Toronto to distribute brand new coats to children in need, and donating 500 pairs of brand new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in partnership with Shoes that Fit. During the first week of February, which is National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry participated in a virtual roundtable discussion with an all-athlete panel. 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. This program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering an environment of equality, diversity, and inclusion, as well as encouraging students to take action. Bembry’s virtual speech was streamed to thousands of young people across 100 schools in Ontario, with the goal of teaching students how to navigate through tough times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is participating in a Wear Orange virtual panel as part of the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 4, sharing his family’s story. His unshakeable commitment to safety in the face of gun violence is inspiring. It is remarkable to see how he has transformed a devastating event into a supportive foundation for 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 honored with the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This was in recognition of his ongoing commitment to assisting youth and families in the larger Phoenix community.

In May, at a Suns home game, Booker unveiled the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. He made the announcement through a pre-recorded in-game address, surprising five local nonprofit organizations. Each of these organizations, namely Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries, and Elevate Phoenix were given $100,000 grants from Booker. The grants were aimed at addressing vital funding needs after the pandemic and to contribute to their respective efforts to enhance the lives of local youth and families. To celebrate and further support the 2020-21 class, Booker, in collaboration with Phoenix Suns Charities, launched a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, marking the chosen nonprofits. The uniquely designed hoodies, created by Booker himself, were available for purchase for a short period. All proceeds from the sale went to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The five organizations make up the second group of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which donates $500,000 each year to different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, amounting to $2.5 million over five years. The first group — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360— were awarded their $100,000 grants at the end of 2019. Besides his Starting Five initiative, Booker has offered 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 in sports.

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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. This came after his fourth consecutive year of being selected as an NBA All-Star starter. Embiid, who is committed to fighting homelessness in Philadelphia, made a generous donation of $100,000 to three local organizations, namely Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Furthermore, he provided 15,000 meals for those in need, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical care for 1,000 individuals with unstable housing, a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless young people, and shelter for over 300 teenagers dealing with housing insecurity.

Embiid showed his support for local community members by helping five families who had been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He gave each family gifts and clothing, food supplies, and rent relief for the upcoming year.

Over the past year, Embiid has concentrated a large part of his community efforts on COVID-19 relief. When the pandemic started, Embiid teamed up with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to give a donation of $1.3 million to Penn Medicine. This contribution was aimed at developing antibody testing for frontline healthcare workers. To show his ongoing support for these healthcare workers, he committed $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, backed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, aims to provide PPE to those on the frontline.

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Jrue Holiday

Benefiting Charity: The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund

Jrue Holiday, a guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, co-received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, presented by Kaiser Permanente, with Josh Richardson, a guard for the Dallas Mavericks.

Jrue and his wife Lauren, after joining the Bucks in November, collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation to select small businesses run by women and Black individuals that required the most help. After going through grant applications, the Holiday family declared in January that they would fund 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 range of services in southeastern Wisconsin, including hospitality, assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, among others.

Holiday has also pledged long-term support to communities that matter to him, including committing the rest of his 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. This fund is designed to fight systemic racism and promote economic equality by providing financial assistance and support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, the fund declared support for 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 granted the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This honor was in appreciation of his ongoing work to uplift the youth of Portland.

Since landing in Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to investing in and mentoring local teenagers through his RESPECT program. The program, which supports McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt high schools, encourages and celebrates the students. This year, despite the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, RESPECT adapted to continue engaging with the students. Lillard pledged to conduct video visits to stay connected with the participants remotely and recognized exemplary students and teachers through his social media platforms. As schools began in-person learning again, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard introduced a special RESPECT edition of his signature Dame7 shoe, exclusively for students participating in the program. The 500 pairs produced were designed with the colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools and highlighted the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. These shoes were gifted by Lillard to RESPECT’s partner schools as a reward for students who exemplify these principles. He also wore these sneakers several 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 inclusive playgrounds for all abilities across Oregon. This year, the city of Astoria was chosen to receive funding for the construction of an all-abilities playground to 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 first-ever Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) for players aged 14 and under was launched by Indigenous Basketball Australia in eight locations across the country. This organization, established by Mills, aims to create basketball opportunities for Aboriginal Australians. The tournaments not only focus on basketball development and life skills education, but also emphasize the preservation and celebration of Indigenous cultural practices, mental and physical well-being, and the strengthening of individual identity during this crucial age. In addition, Mills has collaborated with the NBA and the Jr. NBA to introduce the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) at the Gold Coast in Queensland, scheduled to take place from April 11 to 13. This event will offer 48 boys and girls further developmental opportunities both on and off the court.

Mills has devoted a significant portion of his professional career in the U.S. to contributing to Australia, particularly focused on empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he gave his remaining salary for the 2019-20 season to social justice organizations and initiated the ‘We Got You’ campaign alongside other notable Australian athletes, aiming to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Following 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 recognized with the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges 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 record-breaking donation of $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, the alma mater of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell and former workplace of their mother, Nicole. This contribution will fund the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund to support students from pre-K-12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund to aid dedicated teachers, and establish 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 this past summer, amounting to over $300,000. These funds supported the education of Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and preschool teachers in Connecticut and the Bronx.

Mitchell continued his dedication to addressing racial injustice after the 2019-20 NBA season restart, taking the conversation to 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. He was also selected for the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. The Coalition uses the influence of the game to raise awareness, educate, and push for substantial reform. Additionally, Mitchell consistently gives back to those in need through his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Native Northeast Ohioan and local basketball and community hero, Larry Nance Jr., pledged to aid small businesses adversely affected by COVID-19. He planned to achieve this by donating all proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys, which would be held after each regular season game. This effort is further amplified as both Larry and the Cavaliers match the raised amount, thereby tripling the donation received by each chosen small business.

Larry’s social media challenge resulted in hundreds of packages from local businesses wanting to be highlighted during his pregame walk-up. Moreover, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team enhances this exposure by conducting 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 while further promoting their story throughout the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise over $222k and provide crucial visibility for 72 deserving small businesses as the Cavs’ season came to a close. Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched the amount raised from Larry’s jersey auction and donated an additional $100K to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League. These organizations offer support to minority-owned businesses. On a different note, in 2017, Larry initiated the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. The foundation aims to increase awareness of the diseases among youngsters and helps them realize their athletic potential despite these 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 became a member of the Mavericks and promptly took steps to influence the broader Dallas area positively. He surprised numerous frontline healthcare workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center, gifting them Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message expressing gratitude for their continuous efforts to ensure community safety. Moreover, he visited a first-grade class in Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, astonishing the students and motivating them to value reading and education amidst the unique challenges of this academic year.

Richardson, being the son of an Air Force servicewoman, continues to support the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program dedicated to offering comfort, care, and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. He has fostered a tight-knit bond with his mentee, Elijah, through the program over several years. During the festive season, Richardson generously gifted more than 20 families, who have also suffered 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 positive impact in the communities he lives and plays in. Upon moving to 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. The academy will cater to middle and high school students, improving access to educational resources and outdoor activities for children and the wider community in south Los Angeles. Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, aiming to serve at-risk communities with education, mental health support, and career tools, while also inspiring young people to chase their dreams and remain resilient despite adversities. In November, Westbrook and his foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank for the ninth consecutive year to provide 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 attended by many children from homeless or unstable housing situations. In February, he partnered with Varo Bank as an advisor with a focus on addressing income disparities by enhancing financial literacy within minority communities. Besides his direct community involvement, Westbrook has also been proactive in enlightening communities about the numerous injustices experienced by Black individuals in America throughout history.

In April, Russell revealed that he was creating a documentary about the frequently ignored and untaught 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in American history. The documentary is set to premiere on May 30.

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