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Russell Westbrook named a finalist for the 2020-21 NBA Cares Community Assist Award

Westbrook may be the third Wizards player in the last six years to win the award. He also won the award in the 2014-15 NBA season while with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

By Albert Lee
Philadelphia 76ers v Washington Wizards - Game Four
Russell Westbrook could be the third Wizards guard in the last several years to make the NBA Cares Community Assist Award.
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

On Tuesday, the NBA announced that Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook was named a finalist for the 2020-21 NBA Community Assist Award.

According to a release by the Wizards, Westbrook held community events in his hometown of Los Angeles for food drives and partnered with the LA Promise Fund to launch the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy, a charter middle and high school in L.A. last February which will provide a rigorous academic curriculum, competitive sports and civic education for its students.

In D.C., he partnered with The Children’s Guild charter school in Northeast to hand out shoes, backpacks and facemasks, less than a month after he was traded to the Wizards.

Westbrook also was an executive producer of a History Channel documentary called “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre” which was on the Tulsa Race Massacre on Black Wall Street. You can watch the documentary here. Finally, the Wizards’ release noted that Westbrook also joined as a partner of Evolution Advisors, LLC to improve the financial opportunities for minority communities.

If Westbrook wins the award, it will be his second since 2014-15 when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Wizards will also have their third player winning the award in the last six years. John Wall won it in the 2015-16 season and Bradley Beal won it in the 2018-19 season.

The other finalists for this season’s NBA Cares Community Assist Award are DeAndre’ Bembry of the Toronto Raptors, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, Larry Nance Jr. of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Josh Richardson of the Dallas Mavericks.