NEW YORK – Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson is the recipient of the Kia Community Assist Award for March in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work, the NBA announced today.

Kia and the NBA are honoring Henderson for his work giving back to military members and their families as well as students in the Charlotte community.  In an effort to honor and thank local veterans for their service, Henderson invited a group of 50 wounded warriors to be his guests at the Bobcats game on March 9.  Upon their arrival, Henderson greeted the group, signed autographs, took photos, and got them settled into a private suite to watch the game.  Later in the month, after learning that local First Class Airman Charlie Hill had just returned home from a tour in Afghanistan, Henderson invited Hill and his family to be his personal guests at the game on March 28.  Prior to tip off, Henderson spent time with the family and expressed his admiration and thanks to Hill for his dedication to our country.

“It’s an honor to receive this award and I accept this on behalf of my teammates and the Charlotte Bobcats organization,” Henderson said. “As a professional athlete, I feel I have an obligation both on and off the court to give back to the community that has continued to show its loyal and unbiased support. Helping others is something in which the Bobcats organization, my teammates and I take great pride and will continue to do so in the future.”

Understanding the importance of encouraging young people to excel in the classroom, Henderson also made a special visit to a high school calculus class at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology.  As part of their studies, the students were using the sport of basketball – specifically the mathematics behind basketball arc trajectory – to learn calculus.  Henderson joined students for the lesson and then spoke to them about his experiences as a student athlete.

As a Kia Community Assist Award recipient, Henderson will receive the David Robinson Plaque with the inscription, “Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece.”  In addition, Kia and the NBA will donate $10,000 on Henderson’s behalf to The Beacon on Independence which provides housing for our nation’s homeless veterans.

Kia Motors has been an NBA Cares partner since 2010, highlighted by their participation in the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service.  This season, Kia has expanded its NBA Cares partnership by serving as title partner of the Community Assist Award.

The league presents the Kia Community Assist Award monthly throughout the season as well as a final award at the end of the season to recognize players for their year-round charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who best reflects the passion that the league and its players have for giving back to their communities.

To learn more, please log on to www.nba.com/kiacommunityassist.