NBA Foundation announces first $2 million in grant awards

Published Dec. 17, 2020 11:12 a.m. ET

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NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA Foundation has chosen the initial seven recipients of grants from the newly created group, the first step toward what the league has promised will be at least $300 million in money designed to spur additional economic empowerment in Black communities.

Those first grants, announced Thursday, totaled $2 million. They went to the following groups:

Plans to create the NBA Foundation began in June

Thursday’s seven grant recipients focus on matters such as criminal justice system avoidance for youth; professional job coaching; increasing diversity in media; mentoring and more.

The foundation has also selected Greg Taylor as its first executive director. Taylor will assume the role Jan. 4 after more than seven years with the NBA, most recently serving as the league’s Senior Vice President of Player Development.

The foundation’s board includes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, New Orleans Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, Atlanta Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler, NBA Board of Governors chairman Larry Tanenbaum from the Toronto Raptors, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, Philadelphia forward Tobias Harris and Sacramento forward Harrison Barnes. They were selected in October, and it took just over two months for the first grants to become reality.

The foundation is separate from the league’s newly created social justice coalition, which was created after the

That coalition focuses on voting access and criminal justice reform.

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