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

The NBA is thrilled to declare the 10 candidates for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, for the 2020-21 Season. Each player has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their community, making a positive difference beyond the court.

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Below are the nominees.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Benefiting Charity: AP World

Since beginning his career in the NBA, DeAndre’ Bembry has been committed to philanthropic efforts. Following the loss of his brother Adrien to gun violence just weeks before the 2016 NBA Draft, DeAndre’ established the AP World organization. This organization is devoted to fostering safer communities and equipping families with the resources they need to cope with and conquer grief.

Throughout the year, DeAndre’ has been actively involved with AP World, including providing Thanksgiving meals for families, collaborating with Operation Warm to provide brand new coats for needy children in Toronto, and donating 500 pairs of brand-new shoes to the Boys & Girls Club Youth in Indianapolis in February in partnership with Shoes that Fit. In the first week of February, preceding National Gun Violence Survivors week, Bembry shared his story and advocated for gun safety in a virtual roundtable discussion as part of an all-athletes panel.

In April, DeAndre’ took part in a virtual assembly for Toronto’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. The program aims to combat bullying, discrimination, and racism by fostering a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion and empowering students to take action. Bembry’s online presentation was streamed to thousands of young people across 100 schools in Ontario. The aim was to guide students on how to weather tough times and emerge stronger.

Bembry is taking part in the 7th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day by participating in a Wear Orange virtual panel on June 4th, where he will share his family’s story. His unshakeable commitment to safety in relation to gun violence is both inspiring and undeniable, as he has transformed a devastating event into a supportive foundation for 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 NBA Cares Community Assist Award for May. This award, presented by Kaiser Permanente, acknowledges his ongoing dedication to aiding youth and families in the broader Phoenix region.

Booker made a surprise announcement in May at a Suns home game. He revealed the five local nonprofit organizations that were selected for the 2020-21 Devin Booker Starting Five initiative through a prerecorded in-game address. Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix each received a $100,000 grant from Booker. These funds were intended to address the critical funding needs following the pandemic and aid these organizations in their efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families. In addition, a limited-edition hoodie was created by Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities to honor and raise additional funds for the 2020-21 class. The hoodies were designed by Booker and were available for purchase for a limited time, with all profits going to Phoenix Suns Charities.

The five associations are the second group to benefit from the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative, which gives $500,000 every year to five distinct youth-oriented nonprofits in Arizona. This totals $2.5 million over a five year period. The first beneficiaries — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers, and Ability 360 — each received a $100,000 grant in late 2019. Besides the Starting Five program, Booker has also made substantial contributions to the youth and families of the Valley through COVID-19 relief efforts 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 bestowed the Community Assist Award. After earning the title of NBA All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row in the same month, Embiid maintained his commitment to fighting homelessness in Philadelphia. He made a generous donation of $100,000 to three local organizations: Youth Services Inc., Project HOME, and Sunday Breakfast Mission. Besides his financial contribution, Embiid also offered 15,000 meals to those in need, provided 4,000 essential clothing items, ensured medical treatment for 1,000 individuals with housing insecurity, facilitated a six-week summer camp for 50 homeless youth, and offered shelter for over 300 teenagers struggling with housing insecurity.

Embiid demonstrated his support for the local community by aiding five families severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided each with gifts and clothing, groceries, and a year’s worth of rent relief.

Embiid has mainly concentrated on COVID-19 relief in his community engagements over the past year. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he partnered with 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, contributing $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for the development of antibody tests for frontline healthcare workers. He further demonstrated his ongoing support for healthcare workers by pledging $500,000 through the #FirstRespondersFirst campaign. This initiative, spearheaded 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, guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Josh Richardson, guard for the Dallas Mavericks, jointly received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente.

In November, after becoming a part of the Bucks, Jrue and his wife Lauren collaborated with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Their goal was to identify small businesses owned by women and Black individuals who were in dire need of aid. Upon evaluating grant applications, the Holiday family revealed in January that they will be funding seven businesses within the local area. 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, located in southeastern Wisconsin, offer a variety of services such as assisted living, home health, childcare, mental health and substance abuse services, hospitality, among others.

Holiday has made enduring commitments to help communities that matter to him. This includes devoting his entire 2020 NBA salary to establish The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund. This fund aims to fight systemic racism and promote economic equality by offering financial aid and support to Black-led organizations and businesses. Earlier this season, the fund revealed its support for 25 non-profits and historically Black institutions. It also assisted 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 bestowed with the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award by Kaiser Permanente. This accolade acknowledges his ongoing endeavors to uplift the youth in Portland.

Since moving to Portland in 2012, Lillard has dedicated himself to mentor and invest in local high school students through his RESPECT program. This program offers support and recognition to three high schools in the Portland area, namely McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the RESPECT program adapted to ensure continued engagement with students. Lillard leveraged technology for video visits, maintaining remote contact with program participants. He used his social media platforms to spotlight students and teachers who embodied the program’s principles. As schools transitioned back to face-to-face learning, he supplied RESPECT-branded face masks for the students and staff involved in the programs.

Lillard introduced a special RESPECT version of his trademark Dame7 shoe, made exclusively for students in the program. The 500 pairs created included the school colors of McDaniel, Parkrose, and Roosevelt and were designed around the three RESPECT principles: Show Up, Work Hard, and Be Kind. He presented the shoes to RESPECT’s affiliated schools to reward students embodying these principles, and he also wore the sneakers multiple times during the season. Besides RESPECT, Lillard maintained his ambassador role for the Moda Assist Program, a collaboration with Moda Health and the Trail Blazers, which donates $20 for every assist made during the season to build all-ability inclusive playgrounds across Oregon. This year, Astoria was chosen to receive funds for constructing 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.

Indigenous Basketball Australia, established by Mills to create opportunities for Aboriginal Australians in basketball, launched the inaugural Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) in February. This league, aimed at players aged 14 and under, took place in eight locations across Australia. The tournaments not only focus on developing basketball skills but also on life skills education, including mental and physical well-being. They also aim to strengthen individual identities at a crucial age, while preserving and celebrating Indigenous cultural practices. Mills also teamed up with the NBA and the Jr. NBA to introduce the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT). This event, scheduled from April 11-13 at the Gold Coast in Queensland, will provide further development opportunities both on and off the court for 48 boys and girls.

Much of Mills’ professional career in the United States has been devoted to supporting Australia, especially empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color. In 2020, he gave away the remainder of his 2019-20 season salary to organizations advocating social justice. He also partnered with other prominent Australian athletes to initiate the ‘We Got You’ campaign, aiming to eradicate racism, exclusion, and discrimination in sports. Furthermore, after the catastrophic Australian bushfires earlier that year, Mills coordinated a $750,000 donation from nine other 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 recognition was for his ongoing work to promote social justice and advocate for education during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons.

In December, the Mitchell family made a $12 million donation to Greenwich Country Day School, the alma mater of Donovan and Jordan Mitchell and where their mother, Nicole, served as a teacher for over a decade. This donation, the largest single one in the school’s history, will be used to establish the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund for students from pre-K through 12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund for teachers who embody Nicole’s passion for teaching, and the new D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center. Additionally, this past summer, Mitchell donated the profits from his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers to provide academic support and scholarships totaling over $300,000. This funding will assist Jacob Blake’s children’s education, students of color at the University of Louisville, and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx.

Mitchell, known for his steadfast dedication to addressing racial injustice, kept the conversation going during the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He joined forces with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, CJ McCollum of Portland, and Tobias Harris of Philadelphia in the offseason to discuss educational, economic, and social disparities. He was also appointed to the first board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, an organization that utilizes the influence of the sport to increase awareness, provide education, and advocate for significant reform. Through his SPIDACARES organization, Mitchell consistently contributes to those most in need.

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Larry Nance Jr.

Benefiting Charity: Athletes vs. Chron’s

Larry Nance Jr., a beloved basketball and community figure in his home region of Northeast Ohio, took action in response to the severe effects of COVID-19 on small businesses. He pledged to dedicate each regular season game to support chosen local businesses by auctioning off his game-worn jerseys, with all proceeds going to these businesses. Both Larry and the Cavaliers match these proceeds, therefore tripling the donations received by each small business.

Larry’s social media challenge led to him receiving hundreds of packages from local businesses keen to be spotlighted during his pregame walk-up. Following the game, the Cavs FieldHouse Creative Team carries out interviews with these small business owners. These interviews are then shared on Cavs digital platforms, providing fans with a comprehensive understanding of the business and amplifying their story within the Northeast Ohio community.

As the Cavaliers’ season wrapped up, Larry succeeded in raising more than $222k and offered priceless visibility for 72 worthy small enterprises. Moreover, the Cavs’ corporate ally, Westfield, matched the funds generated from Larry’s jersey auction with a supplementary $100K donation. This donation was extended to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Akron Urban League, which both aid minority-owned businesses. In a different initiative in 2017, Larry initiated the Athletes vs Chron’s and Colitis foundation with the objective of increasing awareness about these diseases among teenagers and assisting children to achieve their athletic prowess regardless of their diagnoses.

Throughout the pandemic, Larry utilized his platform to address the mental and physical implications 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 joined the Mavericks and promptly aimed to make a significant contribution to the wider Dallas region. Unexpectedly, he gifted dozens of frontline healthcare workers from UT Southwestern Medical Center with Reebok sneakers, team merchandise, and a special video message expressing his gratitude for their continuous work in ensuring the community’s safety. Richardson also made a surprise visit to a first-grade class in the Dallas Independent School District as a guest reader, encouraging students to value reading and education amidst the unique challenges of this academic year.

Richardson, the son of an Air Force servicewoman, has maintained his association with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a program that offers support and resources to those mourning the loss of a servicemember. Over the years, he has fostered a deep bond with his mentee, Elijah, through the program. During the festive season, he extended his generosity by providing gifts to over 20 families who, like him, have also lost a loved one in service.

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Russell Westbrook

Benefiting Charity: Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Russell Westbrook continues to impact communities he resides and plays in. Upon joining a new team market, he collaborated with the LA Promise Fund to establish the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his hometown, Los Angeles. The academy will cater to middle and high school students, improving access to educational services and outdoor opportunities for children and the wider community in south Los Angeles. Westbrook founded The Why Not? Foundation in 2012, with the ultimate aim of offering services to at-risk individuals, including education, mental health resources, and workforce tools. The foundation also inspires young people to think creatively, chase their dreams and remain resilient despite 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 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 many students from homeless or unstable living conditions. In February, he joined Varo Bank as an advisor, aiming to address income disparities by enhancing financial literacy programs within minority communities. Besides his direct community involvement, Westbrook has also proactively educated communities about various injustices endured by Black Americans throughout history.

In April, Russell announced that he was producing a documentary on the often overlooked and untaught 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in American history. The documentary is set to debut on May 30.

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