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

The NBA is thrilled to reveal the ten candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the 2020-21 Season, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Each player has demonstrated remarkable dedication to their community, making significant positive contributions beyond the basketball court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since his NBA debut, DeAndre’ Bembry has shown a strong 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 building safer communities and offering families the resources needed to cope with and rise above grief.

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

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program in Toronto. The program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering a culture of fairness, diversity, and inclusion, and encouraging students to take action. Bembry’s online presentation was aired to thousands of young people across 100 Ontario schools to demonstrate how to overcome adversity 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. It is truly inspirational to see how Bembry, with his unwavering commitment to safety in the face of gun violence, has transformed a devastating event into a foundation that aids 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, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This award acknowledges his ongoing dedication to helping the youth and families in the broader Phoenix area.

In May, five local nonprofit organizations received a pleasant surprise from Booker at a Suns home game. During a pre-recorded in-game announcement, he revealed them as the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. The organizations, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix, each got a $100,000 grant from Booker. This money is meant to address their post-pandemic funding needs and support their work to enhance local youth and families’ lives. In celebration of the 2020-21 class, Booker, in collaboration with Phoenix Suns Charities, launched a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie, honouring the chosen nonprofits. Booker designed these unique hoodies, which were available for a limited period. All proceeds from their sale went to Phoenix Suns Charities.

These five organizations belong to the second group selected by the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. This initiative donates annually $500,000 to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, amounting to a total of $2.5 million across five years. The first group, consisting of 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. Besides the Starting Five initiative, Booker has also extensively supported youths and families in the Valley through COVID-19 relief efforts and holiday shopping sprees. Moreover, as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, he passionately promotes inclusion via 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. The same month, following his fourth consecutive year being named an NBA All-Star starter, Embiid made a generous donation of $100,000 to three organizations based in Philadelphia: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission, as part of his ongoing effort to fight homelessness in the city. Furthermore, he provided 15,000 meals, 4,000 essential clothing items, medical care for 1,000 individuals facing housing insecurity, a six-week summer camp opportunity for 50 homeless youths, and shelter for over 300 teens struggling with housing instability.

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 concentrated his community efforts on COVID-19 relief. When the pandemic began, he teamed up with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to donate $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for antibody testing for frontline healthcare workers. Embiid continued his support for healthcare workers by pledging $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, established 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, jointly received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

In November, after becoming a member of the Bucks, Jrue and his wife Lauren collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their goal was to determine which small, women and Black-owned businesses required the most help. After scrutinizing grant applications, the Holiday family revealed in January that they would be funding seven local businesses. These include 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 supporting 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. This fund aims 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, guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was acknowledged for his ongoing work in empowering Portland’s youth with the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for April. The award was presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Since his 2012 arrival in Portland, Lillard has dedicated himself to investing in and guiding local high school-aged youth through his RESPECT program. The program supports, motivates, and celebrates three local high schools – McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. With the advent of the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to maintain student engagement. Lillard committed to conducting video visits to stay connected with participants remotely and used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles. As schools transitioned back to in-person learning, Lillard supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard premiered a special edition of his Dame7 shoe, labeled RESPECT, exclusively for students in the program. The 500 pairs produced incorporated colors from McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt schools and featured the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Lillard donated these shoes to RESPECT’s partner schools as a reward for students who live out these principles and even wore the sneakers several times during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard upheld his ambassador role for the Moda Assist Program, in partnership with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers. This program donates $20 per assist made during the season to fund all-ability inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, Astoria was chosen to receive funds to construct an all-abilities playground, 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, the first-ever Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) was launched in eight locations across Australia for players aged 14 and under. The league, established by Indigenous Basketball Australia, an organization founded by Mills to offer opportunities for Aboriginal Australians to engage in basketball, focuses on not only basketball development, but also life skills education. This includes mental and physical health, as well as enhancing personal identity at a crucial age. The tournaments are designed to uphold and celebrate Indigenous cultural practices. Furthermore, Mills teamed up with the NBA and Jr. NBA to unveil the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) at Queensland’s Gold Coast from April 11-13. This will provide 48 boys and girls with further development possibilities both on and off the court.

Mills has spent a significant portion of his professional career in the United States, devoting his efforts towards supporting Australia, particularly in empowering Indigenous young individuals and people of color communities. He donated his remaining 2019-20 season salary to social justice organizations in 2020 and took part in initiating the ‘We Got You’ campaign, alongside other renowned Australian sportspeople. This campaign aims to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Moreover, following the tragic Australian bushfires, Mills coordinated a donation of $750,000 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 by Kaiser Permanente. This honor recognized his ongoing work to promote social justice and support education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, the Mitchell family made a generous donation of $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, the alma mater of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell and where their mother, Nicole, taught for over ten years. This donation, the largest single contribution in the school’s history, will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund, supporting students from pre-K to 12th grade. Additionally, it will form the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund, aiding teachers who share Nicole’s passion for education, and the D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. This summer, Mitchell also contributed the proceeds 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 preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx. These funds will be used for scholarships and academic aid.

Mitchell maintained his staunch commitment to addressing racial injustice after the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He joined forces with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris from Philadelphia during the offseason to discuss educational, economic, and social disparities. He also became a part of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition’s inaugural board that aims to use basketball’s influence to raise awareness, educate, and push for significant reforms. In addition, he consistently supports those in need through his SPIDACARES organization.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a revered basketball figure and community hero in his home region of Northeast Ohio, pledged to support local businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For each regular season game, he selected a local business to receive all the proceeds from the auction of his game-worn jerseys. With both Larry and the Cavs matching the proceeds, each small business effectively received three times the original donation.

Larry’s social media challenge attracted hundreds of packages from local businesses keen on being spotlighted during his pregame walk-up. Furthermore, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team conducts post-game interviews with these small business owners, which are then featured on Cavs digital platforms. This provides fans with a comprehensive insight into the businesses and extends their narrative across the Northeast Ohio community.

Larry managed to raise over $222k and provided invaluable exposure to 72 worthy small businesses as the Cavs’ season came to an end. Additionally, Westfield, a corporate partner of the Cavs, matched the funds raised through Larry’s jersey auction with another $100K donation. This was given to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League, supporting minority-owned businesses. In a different initiative in 2017, Larry established the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation. This aimed at increasing awareness of both diseases among teenagers, and assisting children in achieving their athletic potential 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 onset of the 2020-21 season, Richardson joined the Mavericks and immediately aimed to make a significant impact in the broader Dallas area. He caught dozens of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s frontline healthcare workers off guard by presenting them with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a surprise video message to express his gratitude for their tireless efforts in safeguarding the community. Additionally, he paid a surprise visit to a first-grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, urging the students to value reading and education amid the unique challenges of this academic year.

Richardson, being the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has maintained his association with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This program offers comfort, care, and resources to those mourning the death of a military servicemember. Over the years, he has built a strong bond with his mentee, Elijah, through the program. During the holiday season, he gifted more than 20 families who have also experienced the loss of a servicemember.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook remains committed to impacting the communities where he lives and works. Upon joining a new team market, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his home city, Los Angeles. This academy, catering to middle and high school students, aims to improve access to educational services and outdoor activities for children and the wider community in south Los Angeles. In 2012, Russell set up The Why Not? Foundation with the primary aim of delivering services to vulnerable groups, such as education, mental health resources, and employment tools, while inspiring young individuals to think creatively, chase their dreams, and persist despite facing adversity. In November, Russell 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 Christmas sneaker giveaway for all students at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, a school that caters to many students from homeless or unstable housing situations. Then, in February, he joined Varo Bank as an advisor, aiming to address income inequalities by enhancing financial literacy programs within the minority community. Apart from Westbrook’s direct engagement with the community, he also focuses on educating communities about the various injustices that Black people in America have endured throughout history.

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

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