NEW YORK, MARCH 13 -- The Fannie Mae Foundation and the NBA today announced finalists for their 2002 Home Team Community Service Award. NBA All-Stars on and off the court -- Paul Pierce, Jerry Stackhouse, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim -- have been named to a list of nine finalists for the award.


Paul Pierce, here reading with students at Fuller Elementary, is one of nine finalists for the prestigious award.
Celtics Photo
Players were nominated by and selected from NBA teams who have an affiliation with the Fannie Mae Foundation’s Home Team program, a partnership between the Foundation and NBA that rehabilitates homes and revitalizes local neighborhoods to help more Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. The program has helped refurbish or construct nearly 900 homes nationally since its inception in 1993.

Officials from the league and the NBA teams chose the finalists based on players’ community service and resulting impact on the community. The winner, who will be selected by a panel of judges from the league and Fannie Mae Foundation, will receive a $50,000 grant (a split donation from both the NBA and Fannie Mae Foundation) to distribute to the community service organizations of his choice. The winner will be named later this season. Following is a list of the finalists:

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Atlanta Hawks
Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
David Wesley, Charlotte Hornets
Jerry Stackhouse, Detroit Pistons
Charlie Ward, New York Knicks
Chris Dudley, Portland Trail Blazers
Terry Porter, San Antonio Spurs
Desmond Mason, Seattle SuperSonics
Jahidi White, Washington Wizards

"These nominees embody the mission of the Home Team program and go far beyond the call of duty by being not only good citizens, but by selflessly giving free time to improve their communities," said Stacey H. Davis, president and CEO of the Fannie Mae Foundation. "The Fannie Mae Foundation is proud to honor them with this distinction."

"All of the players nominated are wonderful representatives of the NBA family's commitment to excellence on-the-court and in the community," said Kathy Behrens, NBA Vice President Community Relations. "The NBA Fannie Mae Foundation Community Service Award is a great way to honor the players' hard work and dedication to their communities."

Previous winners of the award are:

2001 -- Tim Duncan -- San Antonio Spurs
2000 -- Jerome Williams -- Detroit Pistons
1999 -- Avery Johnson -- San Antonio Spurs

About the Fannie Mae Foundation
The Fannie Mae Foundation creates affordable homeownership and housing opportunities through innovative partnerships and initiatives that build healthy, vibrant communities across the United States. The Foundation is especially committed to improving the quality of life for the people of its hometown, Washington, D.C., and to enhancing the livability of the city's neighborhoods. The Foundation, a private nonprofit organization supported solely by Fannie Mae, has regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Pasadena and Philadelphia.

About the NBA
With 29 teams in the United States and Canada, NBA games and related programming are broadcast to 210 countries in 42 languages. The NBA is one of the most popular and profitable sports or entertainment properties in the licensing world with NBA league and team products in stores across the globe, on the NBA Store on NBA.com, the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, and NBA City in Orlando. The NBA maintains 17 marketing partnerships with the most successful companies in their categories, seven of which are global partnerships. For more information on the NBA, visit www.nba.com.