Karl-Anthony Towns named Social Justice Champion award finalist
Karl-Anthony Towns is being recognized for his off-court contributions.
On Monday, the NBA announced the five finalists for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award, where Towns was one of the players selected for the prestigious honor. The award is handed out to the NBA player who made a significant impact through social justice and activism during the season.
Towns, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, joins Reggie Bullock (Mavericks), Jrue Holiday (Bucks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), and Fred VanVleet (Raptors) as fellow finalists. The winner, which will be announced during the Western Conference Finals on TNT, will receive $100,000 in donation funds that they will direct to the social justice organization of their choice.
“I am incredibly humbled to be named a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion finalist,” Towns said in a press release. “Equity across all spheres – health, social and civic is central to me as a person and as a player in this league. I join inspiring company in my fellow finalists and will continue to be an active participant in the advancement of social justice.”
Towns has been a regular advocate for promoting the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, aiding the George Floyd Memorial Foundation, and the advancement of women equality in sports.
This is just the second year of the award’s existence, which was gifted to Carmelo Anthony at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
Below is what the NBA’s press release said about Towns’ work in the community:
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns has devoted his time, platform and resources to health equity and education since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically this past season to advocate for vaccine education after experiencing personal loss. Towns worked with the NBA on a vaccine PSA released in Feb. 2022, Cue Health to provide 100 COVID-19 testing kits and tests to more than 50 schools in both New Jersey and Minnesota, and Walgreens on their Get a Shot, Give a Shot campaign to promote flu shots and help ensure access for all via a $5,000 donation.
Beyond health equity, Towns donated $20,000 to the George Floyd Foundation in partnership with JD Sports in July 2021 and made a $30,000 donation to the Vera Institute of Justice, which works to end the overcriminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty, selecting them as his beneficiary in Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. Additionally, in support of gender equity and access for women in sports, Towns made a donation to Kean University in New Jersey to support programming for their women student athletes highlighting empowerment and internships, naming the series in honor of his late mother, Jacqueline Towns. He continues to serve as a board member of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. Towns has selected George Floyd Memorial Foundation as the recipient of his donation.
NBA
Well-earned.
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