NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2005 – The combined relief efforts of the NBA family, which includes individual players, the National Basketball Players Association and Women’s National Basketball Players Association, individual owners, teams and both the NBA and WNBA league offices, has exceeded $10 million. On behalf of their efforts, the NBA is recognizing all our players for the September NBA Community Assist Award.

NBA players have already contributed millions of dollars and have assisted in collecting and delivering supplies, food and clothing to benefit those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The NBA and WNBA are making a commitment of $2 million to humanitarian organizations to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, $1 million of which is pledged to the American Red Cross. As players and teams continue to aid in the relief, the NBPA and WNBPA have joined forces with Feed the Children in Operation Rebound, a multifaceted and on-going effort to provide food and assistance to the victims.

NBA player relief efforts to date include:

  • Nearly 30 NBA stars gathered in Houston on Sept. 11 to take part in the NBA Players Hurricane Relief Game, organized by TNT analyst and former Houston Rockets star Kenny Smith. The players donated $1 million and treated thousands of fans in the Toyota Center, including at least 5,000 evacuees who were given free tickets, with world-class entertainment and basketball.

  • Fifteen top NBA and WNBA players and NBA legends including the Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony, the Phoenix Suns’ Amare Stoudemire, the Seattle SuperSonics’ Ray Allen, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Emeka Okafor, the New Jersey Nets’ Richard Jefferson, Hall of Famer Bill Walton and TNT Analyst Kenny Smith teamed up with Wheel of Fortune to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other charities during Wheel of Fortune's NBA Week. The NBA and WNBA stars played for their favorite charities and for the Red Cross, with a minimum of $100,000 of their winnings going to assist Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

  • As part of Operation Rebound, more than a dozen NBA and WNBA players including the Philadelphia 76ers’ Samuel Dalembert, the New York Knicks’ Allan Houston and the Boston Celtics’ Al Jefferson delivered 20 tractor trailers loaded with supplies to Hattiesburg, Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss.

  • The Chicago Bulls’ Chris Duhon, a Louisiana native, launched Stand Tall Foundation immediately after the hurricane struck. He has raised more than $800,000 to help the estimated 10,000 left homeless in his hometown of Slidell.

  • The Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson adopted three families and provided for their immediate needs including food, shelter, and clothing. He also filmed an American Red Cross public service announcement urging people to help with relief efforts.

  • The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets’ Jamaal Magloire organized a fundraiser in Toronto on Sept. 29 and will personally deliver proceeds to survivors in New Orleans.

  • The Miami Heat’s Shaquille O'Neal and his wife, Shaunie launched an emergency relief effort to help provide important bare essentials to victims. The O'Neal family arranged for transportation of all items collected to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

  • The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Larry Hughes donated $100,000 to American Red Cross in St. Louis to assist in the relocation efforts of evacuees.

  • Former Hornets player and current Golden State Warrior Baron Davis donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross.

  • The Indiana Pacers’ Jonathan Bender, a Mississippi native, organized relief efforts in Indianapolis and collected thousands of supplies at several drop points in the city.

  • The Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger, a native of New Orleans, and Deanna Jackson and Tan White of the Indiana Fever donated $100,000 on behalf of their teams to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

  • The Denver Nuggets Greg Buckner, Kenyon Martin and Nene collected money, clothing, and food for victims. The event raised $21,000 and Martin matched that total, bringing the total raised to $42,000.

  • The Washington Wizards' Gilbert Arenas delivered $18,000 worth of supplies that he purchased to help survivors being housed in the D.C. Armory.

  • The Houston Rockets teamed up with local businesses to launch HopeFest, a three-day event to collect and distribute donation items, as well as provide human services and job-skills training information residents who have taken shelter in Houston. More than 1,000 volunteers participated including Tracy McGrady and David Wesley.

  • Detroit Pistons and Shock players and front office helped collect supplies and raise funds. The supplies were loaded onto the Pistons’ plane, Roundball One, and flown to shelters in Biloxi and Baton Rouge.

  • The Los Angeles Lakers’ Vlade Divac collected thousands of donated items from citizens of Sacramento and personally transported them in a truck to Louisiana to help displaced children.

  • Orlando Magic personnel accompanied 6,000 pounds of supplies aboard the team plane to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where the staff, as well as Grant Hilland his wife Tamia, spent the day delivering the supplies to area shelters.

  • The Portland Trail Blazers’ Theo Ratliff donated 12,000 16-ounce bottles of his signature sports drink Rebound Fx to shelters in Biloxi as well as to World Changers Church International and Hosea Feed the Hungry in Atlanta.

  • The Spurs Brent Barry, and Bruce Bowen, Spurs legend George Gervin, the Spurs Coyote and members of the Silver Dancers served lunch and played basketball with the evacuees at The Levi-Strauss Evacuation Center on Sept. 10.

  • Raptors Star Jalen Rose has made a personal donation of $50,000 to help children devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Rose is directing the donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Child Welfare League of America, two leading national organizations with expert personnel on the ground in the Gulf region. Each charity will receive $25,000.

    The NBA Community Assist Award is given out monthly by the league to recognize players for their charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who reflects the passion that the league and its players have for their communities. The usual $5,000 gift given to the players’ charity of choice will be donated to the American Red Cross.