Two Boston Celtics players have been nominated for awards that recognize individuals making a difference in their communities.
This week, the NBA announced that Grant Williams was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award.
Described by the league as a “passionate advocate for social justice efforts, specifically criminal justice reform,” an NBA news release pointed to Williams’s work leading the team’s “Play for Justice” event last year, which helped advocate for Massachusetts to reclassify who is considered a juvenile in the justice system.
He was also credited for his work with the team’s Playbook Initiative – a program that works to train and deploy high school students to “facilitate workshops with middle school populations,” teaching kids how to intervene safely whenever they encounter “acts of bias or discrimination in their community.”
Also nominated for the award was Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tre Jones with the San Antonio Spurs, and the Phoenix Suns’s Chris Paul.
Also up for an award for his work in the community is Marcus Smart, who was nominated for the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award.
Smart’s support for pediatric cancer patients undergoing treatment in the Boston area, as well as his work with inner-city student athletes were commended in his nomination.
The NBA highlighted his visits to Boston Children’s Hospital and how the player and his organization, The YounGameChanger Foundation, have provided patients with “Smart Carts” – mobile charging stations with tablets and video game consoles for children to use during their treatments.
“Over the past year and a half, Smart and his YounGameChanger Foundation, have made “Smart Carts” available in seven different children’s hospitals throughout New England, one in his hometown of Dallas, TX, and two in support of virtual programming at Children’s Wisconsin Hospital,” NBA.com stated. “Marcus previously won the October NBA Cares Community Assist Award.”
Fans can vote now for Smart, or any of the nine other players up for the award. Click here to cast your ballot.
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