Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA announced the five finalists Monday for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award.
Reggie Bullock (Dallas Mavericks), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors) were chosen by a selection committee from a pool of team nominees.
According to the league, the award “recognizes a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.”
Carmelo Anthony was the inaugural recipient of the award last year.
The winner will be announced during the Western Conference finals on TNT and will receive a $100,000 donation from the NBA for a social justice organization of his choosing. The other four finalists will each select a social justice organization to receive a $25,000 contribution on their behalf.
–Field Level Media