PORTLAND, Ore. (April 9, 2023) – The Portland Trail Blazers have named forward Jerami Grant as the recipient of the 2022-23 Maurice Lucas Award, the team announced today.
The annual award was created in 2010-11 to honor the Trail Blazers player who best represents the indomitable spirit of Maurice Lucas through his contributions on and off the court, as well as in support of his teammates and the organization. In recognition of the award, the Trail Blazers will make a $5,000 donation to Grant’s Hour Generation Foundation.
After Grant was acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2022, he immediately sought ways to impact and engage with the Rip City community. Prior to the season, Jerami purchased 20 season tickets for local youth to attend Trail Blazers’ games and by season’s end donated more than 700 tickets to 14 different schools and nonprofits across the Portland Metro area. Grant also donated 200 coats and rainboots to Jason Lee Elementary, a Title 1 school, and helped provide holiday gifts to Portland families through his foundation. In November, Grant and his Hour Generation Foundation teamed up with Kee’s Loaded Kitchen, a local Black-owned business, to provide meals for families in need and host a special evening meal for youth from the Blazers Boys and Girls Club.
Jerami’s impact goes beyond the basketball court as he continues to lead tangible change-making efforts with his nonprofit, Hour Generation Foundation (HGF). Founded in 2018, HGF has operated across several states and is committed to empowering youth in underserved communities to explore their talents by providing them with resources, extracurricular programs, and services. HGF and Grant’s mission is to maximize youth potential and help them realize their special gifts to attain success in life.
“Upon joining the Trail Blazers, Jerami has instilled his infectious personality and work ethic on teammates and with the organization as a whole,” said Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers General Manager. “Jerami is deserving of the Maurice Lucas award this season as he is not only a competitor, but continues to make a difference in the community.”
In his first season with the Trail Blazers after joining the organization in the summer of 2022, Grant has appeared in 63 games with 63 starts while averaging 20.5 points (47.5% FG, 40.1% 3-PT, 81.3 FT%), 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Grant shot a career-high 40.1% from three-point range and averaged more than 20 points per game in a season for the second time in his career. On November 11, 2022, the Syracuse product scored a career-high 44 points at the New York Knicks in a 132-129 victory for the Trail Blazers.
“It is with great pleasure to congratulate Jerami Grant on receiving the 2022-23 Maurice Lucas Award,” said Pam Lucas, widow of Maurice Lucas. “Jerami is a Trail Blazer in every sense of the word and represents the indomitable spirit of my husband through his hard work on the court and his community service off the court. Maurice sought to empower youth with opportunities in areas where few existed and Jerami’s commitment to the service of others is more than deserving of carrying on that legacy.”
“Jerami has been an amazing addition to the Trail Blazers organization and we’re proud to honor him with the Maurice Lucas Award,” said Dewayne Hankins, Portland Trail Blazers President of Business Operations. “It was wonderful to see him dive back into the community that he once called home when he joined the team this summer. From his amazing work in the community to his incredible play on the court, we’re glad to have Jerami be a part of Rip City.”
Former Trail Blazers All-Star Maurice Lucas passed away on October 31, 2010 at the age of 58. A beloved member of the franchise and the community, “The Enforcer” was a central figure on the Trail Blazers 1976-77 NBA Championship team. The Trail Blazers honored Lucas by retiring his uniform number (No. 20) on November 4, 1988.
Lucas averaged 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.72 blocked shots over five seasons (1976-80, 1987-88) as a Trail Blazer. During Portland’s 1976-77 NBA Championship season, Lucas led the team in scoring (20.2), field goals made (8.0), free throws made (4.2), offensive rebounds (2.4) and minutes (36.2). Selected to the All-Star Game in three straight seasons from 1977-79, Lucas is one of six three-time All-Stars in Trail Blazers history (Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Clyde Drexler, Brandon Roy, Sidney Wicks). He served as an assistant coach with the Trail Blazers for five seasons from 2005-10, and previously in 1988-89.
MAURICE LUCAS AWARD WINNERS
2022-23 – Jerami Grant
2021-22 – Anfernee Simons
2020-21 – Enes Kanter
2019-20 – Carmelo Anthony
2018-19 – Jusuf Nurkic
2017-18 – Evan Turner
2016-17 – Al-Farouq Aminu
2015-16 – Ed Davis
2014-15 – LaMarcus Aldridge
2013-14 – Robin Lopez
2012-13 – Damian Lillard
2011-12 – Wesley Matthews
2010-11 – LaMarcus Aldridge