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

The NBA is pleased to reveal the 10 candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the 2020-21 season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each of these players has demonstrated remarkable dedication to their community and making a positive difference beyond the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

From his inception into the NBA, DeAndre’ Bembry has been committed to philanthropic efforts. He founded 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’s mission is to build safer communities and to provide resources to families for coping with and overcoming grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World. His contributions include providing Thanksgiving meals for families, partnering with Operation Warm to provide brand new coats for children in need at Children’s Aid in Toronto, and donating 500 pairs of brand new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February, in collaboration with Shoes that Fit. Before National Gun Violence Survivors week in the first week of February, Bembry took part in a virtual roundtable discussion as part of an all-athletes panel, sharing his personal story and advocating for gun safety.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for Toronto’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program, broadcast to thousands of students across 100 Ontario schools. The program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering an environment of equity, diversity, and inclusivity. It also empowers students to take action. Through Bembry’s online talk, he aimed to demonstrate to students how they can weather tough times and emerge stronger.

Bembry will be participating in a Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4 in observance of the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, sharing his family’s story. His unwavering commitment to safety in the face of gun violence is both undeniable and inspiring. It is commendable to see how he has transformed a devastating 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 honored with the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges his ongoing dedication to helping young people and families in the broader Phoenix region.

In May, Booker took five local nonprofit organizations by surprise during a Suns home game when he announced through a pre-recorded in-game address that they were the chosen class of the 2020-21 Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. The chosen organizations; 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 funds were to address urgent funding needs in the aftermath of the pandemic and to aid their efforts in bettering the lives of local families and youth. To further commemorate and aid the 2020-21 class, Booker collaborated with Phoenix Suns Charities to create a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, honoring the chosen nonprofits. The hoodies, designed by Booker, were sold for a limited period with all the proceeds directed to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The Devin Booker Starting Five initiative has announced its second class of five organizations. This program donates $500,000 each year to five different nonprofits serving young people in Arizona, amounting to a total of $2.5 million over five years. The first class, including 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 in the latter part of 2019. Apart from the Starting Five initiative, Booker has also generously supported the youth and families across the Valley through contributions to 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 recognized with the Community Assist Award. Having been designated as an NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row that month, Embiid persisted in his campaign against homelessness in Philadelphia. He donated $100,000 to three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Additionally, he provided 15,000 meals and 4,000 essential clothing items to those in need, medical aid for 1,000 individuals facing housing insecurity, and access to a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youth. He also offered shelter to over 300 teens struggling 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 rent relief for the upcoming year.

Embiid’s community involvement over the past year has largely centered on aiding COVID-19 relief efforts. When the pandemic first hit, 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. Continuing his support for these workers, he committed $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, led by 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, co-received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

Jrue and his wife, Lauren, partnered with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation upon joining the Bucks in November. They aimed to identify the small, women- and Black-owned businesses that were most in need of help. After going through grant requests, the Holiday family in January announced that they would be funding seven local 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. These businesses provide a range of services in southeastern Wisconsin, including but not limited to assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, and hospitality.

Holiday has also made a lasting pledge to aid communities that are significant to him. This includes his promise to use the rest of his 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. The fund aims to fight systemic racism and promote economic equality by offering financial aid and support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier in the season, the fund declared its support for 25 non-profits and historical 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 awarded the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This recognition was for his ongoing work empowering the youth in Portland.

Since his arrival in Portland in 2012, Lillard has been dedicated to mentoring and investing in local high school students through his RESPECT program. This program promotes support, encouragement, and celebration at three Portland-area high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Amidst the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to ensure continued student engagement. Lillard stayed in touch with participants through video visits and recognized students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles on his social media platforms. With the return to in-person learning, Lillard supplied RESPECT branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard launched a unique RESPECT version of his signature Dame7 shoe, specifically for students in the program. The 500 pairs made featured school colors from McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt, and embodied the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Lillard donated these shoes to RESPECT’s affiliated schools to honor students embodying these principles and wore the sneakers multiple times throughout the season. Besides RESPECT, he also continued his ambassadorship for the Moda Assist Program in collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program gives $20 for each assist during the season to help develop inclusive playgrounds for all abilities across Oregon. This year, Astoria was chosen to receive funds for the construction of an inclusive playground to improve 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, established by Mills to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians in basketball, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) in February. The ICBL, for players aged 14 and under, took place in eight different locations across Australia. The tournaments, aimed at preserving and celebrating Indigenous cultural practices, centered around basketball training and life skills education. This includes enhancing mental and physical health as well as reinforcing individual identity during a crucial developmental stage. Moreover, Mills collaborated with the NBA and the Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) at Queensland’s Gold Coast from April 11-13. This will offer further developmental chances on and off the court for 48 boys and girls.

Mills has spent a substantial portion of his professional playing career in the United States working towards giving back to Australia. He has specifically focused on uplifting Indigenous youngsters and communities of color. In 2020, he gave the remaining part of his 2019-20 season earnings to social justice groups. He also played a significant role in initiating the ‘We Got You’ campaign, alongside other prominent Australian athletes, aiming to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Additionally, Mills coordinated a $750,000 contribution from nine Australian NBA players in response to the severe Australian bushfires 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 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 single donation of $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, where Nicole Mitchell, the mother of Donovan and Jordan, had taught for over a decade. This is also Donovan and Jordan’s alma mater. The funds will be allocated to create the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund which will support students from pre-K-12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund which will assist passionate teachers, and the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, in the past summer, Mitchell donated the earnings from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers, totaling over $300,000, to support the education of Jacob Blake’s children, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers at Connecticut and Bronx preschools.

Mitchell, known for his staunch commitment to speaking against racial injustice throughout the 2019-20 NBA season restart, kept the conversation going in the offseason. He joined hands with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, Portland’s CJ McCollum, and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris to discuss educational, economic, and social disparities. In addition, Mitchell was appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. This coalition aims to utilize the influence of basketball to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for significant reform. Through his SPIDACARES organization, Mitchell regularly contributes to those in need.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a celebrated basketball player and community figure in his home region of Northeast Ohio, has committed to supporting local businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. He has pledged to donate all proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys to pre-selected local businesses, with each regular season game serving as an opportunity to spotlight these businesses. In an act of generosity, both Larry and the Cavaliers match the proceeds, effectively tripling the donation received by each small business.

Larry’s social media challenge resulted in hundreds of packages from local businesses wanting to be highlighted during his pregame walk-up. The Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team also conducts post-game interviews with these small business owners, which are featured on Cavs digital platforms. This gives fans a deeper insight into the businesses and helps to promote their stories throughout the Northeast Ohio community.

When the Cavs’ season concluded, Larry managed to raise more than $222k while also shedding light on 72 deserving small businesses. Furthermore, Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, agreed to match the funds that Larry raised through his jersey auction with a generous donation of $100K. This donation was given to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League, both of which are committed to supporting minority-owned businesses. On a separate note, in 2017, Larry founded the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. The foundation’s main focus is to raise awareness about both diseases among adolescents and support 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 kicked off, Richardson joined the Mavericks and immediately aimed to make a significant impact in the Dallas area. He unexpectedly gifted numerous UT Southwestern Medical Center frontline health care workers with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise and a surprise video message expressing gratitude for their relentless efforts in safeguarding the community. Richardson also made a surprise appearance as a guest reader in a first-grade class at the Dallas Independent School District. He encouraged the students to embrace reading and education amidst the unique challenges of the school year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has remained devoted to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This program offers support, care, and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over several years, he has fostered a strong bond with his mentee, Elijah, via this program. During the holiday season, he generously provided gifts to over 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 is forging a legacy beyond the basketball court, impacting the communities in which he lives and plays. After joining a new team, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his hometown of Los Angeles. This academy, which serves students from middle school to high school, aims to increase 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, with a mission to provide services to at-risk groups, including education, mental health resources, and job tools, while inspiring youth to think creatively, chase their dreams, and persist regardless of the challenges they face. 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 at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, which caters to many students from homeless or unstable living conditions, benefiting the entire student body. Then in February, Russell took on an advisory role at Varo Bank to combat income disparities through initiatives aimed at enhancing financial literacy within minority communities. Moreover, Westbrook has not only focused on direct community outreach but has also actively worked towards educating communities about the numerous injustices faced by Black people in America throughout history.

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

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