Washington Wizards guard Trae Young has been named the offseason winner of the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award. The NBA and NBPA recognized his work on educational opportunity, food insecurity, youth sports and community activities in Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma.
A new donation alongside the award
This is Young's third Community Assist honour. The NBA and NBPA Foundation will jointly donate $20,000 to DC Central Kitchen and the DC College Access Program, or DC CAP.
That award-related donation is separate from an earlier $100,000 commitment by Young and the Trae Young Family Foundation after his arrival in Washington. Each organization received $50,000 through that commitment. DC CAP supports public and public-charter school students entering and completing college, while DC Central Kitchen provides culinary training, school meals and hunger relief.
Young said his work away from basketball matters as much to him as his performances on the court, and he wants to keep creating opportunities in both communities.
Facilities, school visits and youth basketball
In Oklahoma, his foundation has contributed more than $4 million toward recreational and athletic facilities. In July it announced plans for a second Young Family Athletic Center in Yukon, following the Norman facility opened two years earlier.
Young also held three days of Washington-area events around his birthday. He visited schools to discuss mental health and perseverance, spent time with pediatric patients at MedStar Georgetown Hospital and gave them signed jerseys.
The programme included a free Pro-Am event and a four-hour skills clinic attended by more than 175 children. Young joined drills alongside Jr. Wizards coaches. The award carries forward Bob Lanier's legacy of community service.