Carmelo Anthony Wins First Social Justice Champion Award
Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony is the inaugural winner of the NBA's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award. It was announced Tuesday.
The NBA said Anthony, a 10-time NBA All-Star, an entrepreneur and a philanthropist, was selected "for his dedication over the past year to 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."
The four other finalists for the award were Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson.
The NBA announced the creation of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award on May 13. The annual honor was created to recognize a player for "pursuing social justice and upholding the league's decades-long values of equality, respect and inclusion."
Abdul-Jabbar, formerly Lew Alcindor, is a six-time NBA champion, the league's all-time leading scorer and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The former Los Angeles Lakers and Bucks star is also known for pushing for societal change and inspiring reflection on injustice throughout his career.
As the winner, Carmelo Anthony was able to select an organization -- Portland Art Museum's Black Arts and Experiences Initiative -- to receive a $100,000 contribution on his behalf. Barnes, Harris, Holiday and Toscano-Anderson will also receive $25,000 to give to a charity of their choice.
