The NBA today announced the finalists for the 2015-16 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, with Grizzlies guard Mike Conley making his first finalist nomination for the league-wide award. Conley previously won the monthly NBA Cares Community Assist Award in January 2016 for his Jr. NBA work in the Memphis community and fundraising efforts for Methodist Healthcare Foundation, namely the Methodist Sickle Cell Center.
The seasonlong nominees include past monthly winners Conley, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Zach LaVine, Victor Oladipo, John Wall and three additional nominees, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Damian Lillard. The NBA and Kaiser Permanente will donate $25,000 to the winner’s charity of choice, with Conley choosing the Methodist Healthcare Foundation.
“I’m humbled to be named a finalist for the Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award,” said Conley. “It’s a blessing to be able to use my platform to bring more awareness to the local causes that are near and dear to my heart.”
Conley is being considered for the award after a breakout year in his local philanthropic efforts, where he routinely expressed his passion in supporting the health and wellness of Memphis’ youth. In the 2015-16 season he stepped up as Ambassador of NBA FIT and Jr. NBA and hosted more than two dozen basketball clinics, and multiple Shoe UP! events where he provided underprivileged youth with Under Armour basketball shoes. Continuing tradition, he hosted his Seventh Annual Mike Conley Bowl N’ Bash benefitting Methodist Sickle Cell Center and continued his work as a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Ambassador.
“Mike is a leader to his teammates, setting the tone both on and off the court,” said Vice President of Community Engagement and Executive Director of the Grizzlies Foundation Diane Terrell. “His generosity, commitment to young people and his willingness to go above and beyond with every engagement and appearance makes him very popular in our community. He’s also a consistent presence – visiting young people in hospitals, community centers and at basketball clinics during the offseason and in season. That’s how you know his dedication comes from an authentic place. We’re thrilled to see his community commitment recognized across the NBA – he is a role model for our team but also for teams across the league.”
How to Vote
Along with an NBA panel of judges, a social media campaign will take place via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram starting today urging Grizz Nation to use #NBACommunityAssist and #MikeConley to help Conley win the top honor. Fan voting will close on May 18. Fans are urged to share this link and the appropriate hashtags to help Grizz Nation and beyond better understand the scope of Conley’s work.
Twitter Rules:
- Retweets count as 1 vote
- Original tweets count as 1 vote
- All posts must include both campaign hashtags
Instagram Rules:
- Comments on posts do not count
- Only original posts count as 1 vote
- All posts must include both campaign hashtags
Facebook Rules:
- Original posts count as 1 vote
- Comments on other posts count as 1 vote
- All posts must include both campaign hashtags
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10.6 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.