NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
NEW YORK – The NBA has named San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes as the recipient of the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for February. Barnes and his spouse, Brittany, contributed $250,000 to AlamoPROMISE, a program dedicated to covering tuition and fees for qualifying students in Bexar County to remove financial obstacles to higher education and facilitate college access. Furthermore, Barnes was instrumental in the refurbishment of a basketball court and playground at Davis White Northeast Neighborhood Park as part of Austin, Texas’s Play ATX initiative. In recognition of his efforts, Barnes will receive the David Robinson trophy, and the NBA will allocate $10,000 to the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum.
The Barnes family’s generous contribution will assist students attending St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, which is recognized as both a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through a partnership with AlamoPROMISE’s “last-dollar” initiative, scholarships will fund tuition and fees for up to three years. In its fifth year, this program has benefitted over 23,000 students by covering their tuition and college-related expenses. The donation was made in honor of Black History Month, and at a ceremony last month, Barnes presented the funds alongside San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and representatives from St. Philip’s College and the Alamo Colleges District. This cause is particularly significant to Barnes, who has been a board member of the NBA Foundation, the league’s inaugural philanthropic entity, since 2020. The recipient of Barnes’ donation, the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum, is also a grantee partner of the NBA Foundation.
As part of the Play ATX initiative, Barnes collaborated with fellow San Antonio Spurs members, the Austin Parks Foundation, and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the newly renovated area at Davis White Northeast Neighborhood Park. Barnes played a key role in turning this project into a reality. In addition to the ceremony, he led a basketball clinic for 40 young athletes from local schools. The upgrades featured new basketball hoops, enhanced lighting, and a completely revamped playground equipped with new facilities and improved accessibility, ensuring a lasting benefit for the Austin community.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to experience the impact of community and support,” said Barnes. “Now, as a member of the San Antonio community, my wife Brittany and I are privileged to give back and invest in the future of this remarkable city. Collaborating with AlamoPROMISE and St. Philip’s College represents my commitment to ensuring that young people here have the tools and opportunities for success. It’s about fostering enduring change, bridging gaps, and uplifting the next generation of leaders. Together, my wife and I are dedicated to advocating for this community, and we are eager to make a substantial difference and create pathways for local college students to pursue their aspirations.”
This marks the second occasion that Barnes has received a Community Assist Award, having formerly been honored as the 2019-20 End of Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award recipient.
The NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award is named in tribute to Bob Lanier, an NBA League Office executive and NBA Cares Ambassador for over three decades. His significant impact on the NBA family and youth worldwide is remembered as he traveled the globe promoting the game’s values and generating positive change through his generosity and compassion. The legacy he established will continue through the recognition afforded by the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, which celebrates the commitment of the next generation of players to positively influence their communities throughout the NBA season. Each NBA season includes one offseason winner followed by seven monthly award recipients. The offseason winner receives the Bob Lanier trophy, while each monthly winner is honored with the David Robinson trophy. Additionally, the NBA makes a contribution to a charity or foundation selected by the player.
For more information, visit https://communityassist.nba.com/.
