Kings forward Harrison Barnes among recipients of NBA Cares Community Assist Award
Kings forward Harrison Barnes was one of five recipients of the End-of-Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award, the league announced Monday.
Barnes received the award along with Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul and Dallas Mavericks forward/center Dwight Powell. The awards recognize each player’s continued commitment to positively impact their communities through sustained efforts over the course of the season.
The NBA said this season’s awards recognize five players whose exemplary work advanced social justice and provided COVID-19 relief and support. The league noted that each player made a concerted effort throughout the 2019-20 season to use their respective voices and platforms to engage, empower and support their communities amid unprecedented issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Each player will receive $10,000 to be directed to the charity of their choice. Barnes has chosen the African American Policy Forum as the recipient of his donation, the NBA said.
“It is a great honor to be named among the winners of the NBA Community Assist Award, which I proudly share with my wife, Brittany,” Barnes said in a news release. “Brittany and I remain committed to helping the communities we are connected to, specifically showing our support for families affected by police brutality.”
Barnes has provided support to youth, families and frontline workers in Sacramento, Dallas and his hometown of Ames, Iowa. Barnes and his wife donated $40,000 to Hunger Busters, a nonprofit organization that provides daily meals for students in the Dallas Independent School District, and $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas. Barnes also donated nearly $200,000 for refurbishments at Ames High School, his alma mater, to help provide a safe and healthy learning environment.
Barnes and his wife remained active even while recovering from COVID-19 in July.
Barnes has taken a leadership role in promoting the importance of voting and other forms of civic engagement. He spoke during a Black Lives Matter march in downtown Sacramento and donated $25,000 per game during the NBA restart to organizations founded in honor of victims of police brutality and gun violence.
“We dedicate this award to the legacy of Breonna Taylor and we stand with organizations such as #SayHerName with African American Policy Forum to shine a light on Black women and girls who have been victims of police brutality,” Barnes said. “We cannot forget them, and the Black men senselessly killed. Our efforts are not done, and we will continue to make a difference to fuel racial and social justice.”
Barnes recently finished fourth in voting among players for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. The winner was former Kings forward Vince Carter, who announced his retirement after spending the 2019-20 season with the Atlanta Hawks. The award is named after Kings Chief Strategy Officer Joe Dumars, who won the inaugural sportsmanship award in 1995-96.
