NEW YORK – The NBA today announced Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the month of November.  Okongwu partnered with local organizations in Atlanta to provide support and encouragement for those dealing with the loss of loved ones, in addition to donating Hawks’ merchandise, tickets and sports equipment to the community.  Okongwu will receive the David Robinson trophy, and the NBA will donate $10,000 to Kate’s Club – an organization dedicated to empowering children and teens, their families and young adults following the death of a parent, sibling, caregiver, or someone important to them.

Supporting others during times of grief is personally important to Okongwu, as he’s experienced the loss of family and friends.  When Okongwu was 13 years old, his older brother, Nnamdi tragically passed away from a skateboarding accident.  The two brothers were extremely close, and Okongwu plays basketball in honor of his brother, who was a standout basketball player as well.  During Okongwu’s second season in the NBA, his father Mike passed away, followed by the unexpected passing of his close friend Daniel the following season.  Okongwu understands the emotions that a loss of a family member or friend can bring, and he is committed to supporting others who are going through something similar.

With November being Children’s Grief Awareness Month, Okongwu partnered with Visiting Nurse Health System and supported their Camp STARS (Sharing Together As Real Support), a bereavement retreat held annually in Georgia.  The retreat serves campers ages 2-66 and provides the support needed to cope and honor the lives of loved ones.  Okongwu drafted and shared welcome letters with each camper, recorded content sharing experience with loss and shared coping mechanisms that was shown throughout the retreat.  Okongwu also provided giveaway prizes for the camp raffle.

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Okongwu continued his partnership with Kate’s Club and participated in their clubhouse experience with teens who have lost a loved one.  Okongwu has partnered with Kate’s Club since his rookie season and supports the organization by providing tickets to Hawks’ games, sharing his story at their annual fundraising gala and making a financial contribution to help build a playground for Kate’s Club members.  As part of the clubhouse experience, Okongwu participated in the welcome circle with others going through similar situations and shared his experience dealing with grief, participated in ice breakers and hosted basketball activities with the teens.  Okongwu donated basketball equipment to Kate’s Club and provided Hawks’ prizes to participants.

“Losing a loved one can be hard and I know that from first-hand experience.  I have been fortunate to find organizations who are doing the important work of helping people work through their grief – something that I wish I had along my journey,” said Okongwu.  “It is an honor for me partner with Kate’s Club and Camp STARS in their efforts.  I look forward to continuing to make an impact in this area.”

Okongwu will be recognized in-arena as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner during the Heat-Hawks game on Dec. 28.  Atlanta Hawks General Manager Landry Fields will present him with the award.

The NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award honors Bob Lanier, an NBA League Office executive and NBA Cares Ambassador for more than 30 years.  He had an enormous influence on the NBA family and young people globally, traveling the world to teach the values of the game and making a positive impact through his kindness and generosity.  The legacy he built will continue to live on through the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award recognition, which honors the next generation of players’ commitment to positively impacting their community throughout the NBA season.  Over the course of each NBA season, there is an offseason winner followed by seven monthly award winners.  The offseason winner receives the Bob Lanier trophy, and each monthly winner receives the David Robinson trophy.  The NBA also makes a donation to the charity or foundation of the player’s choice.  To learn more, please visit https://communityassist.nba.com/.

About NBA Cares
NBA Social Responsibility drives change on issues facing fans and communities by advancing needed resources and proven partners through NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility platform. Impact areas for NBA Cares include health and wellness, social justice and inclusion, civic engagement and sustainability. NBA Cares works with NBA players and teams to highlight important issues through the NBA’s digital, social and broadcast channels, live events and partnerships.