Community

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Lakers & Toyota Unveil New Community Court

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Salute To Our Troops April 2026

Los Angeles Lakers Community

Congratulation to Barber Gurus on winning the March 2026 Lakers Youth Foundation YOU Grant!

Mission Statement: Barber Gurus Inc is committed to empowering the next generation of barbers and braiders through mentorship, hands-on training, and service-driven leadership while restoring dignity and uplifting underserved communities through wellness-centered outreach. We support youth in developing confidence, personal wellness, and professional self-presentation, equipping them to carry themselves with purpose in school, the workplace, and their communities. Through pathways in barbering and braiding, we provide entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career skills that prepare young people to build sustainable futures and become leaders who give back.Funding Project Description: Barber Gurus Inc will implement a youth mentorship and wellness program that teaches barbering, braiding, personal grooming, and professional presentation skills to underserved youth. The project provides hands-on training, mentorship from experienced grooming professionals, and workshops on financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Youth participants will also engage in community service events that offer free or low-cost grooming services to families in need. Through this initiative, participants will build confidence, develop practical career skills, and explore pathways to small business ownership.

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2025-26 Lakers Youth Foundation March YOU Grant Winner 

Salute to Our Troops presented by Delta Air Lines

salute-to-our-troops-march-2026

Salute to our Troops March 2026

Lakers Community

Congratulations to iPlay iLead Academy on winning the Lakers Youth Foundation January 2026 YOU Grant Contest!  Mission Statement: iPlay iLead Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit empowering youth ages 6–17 in underserved communities through mentorship, resources, and experiences that inspire growth, success, and brighter futures. We offer a year-round program that builds youth resilience and confidence through empowerment workshops, activities, and physical education, helping participants develop leadership, teamwork, respect, and self-confidence.Funding Project: Funding would support the continued delivery and expansion of iPlay iLead Academy’s year-round programming by providing high-quality empowerment workshops, physical education activities, and leadership development experiences for youth. Resources would help cover program materials, equipment, safe spaces, and outreach, ensuring more participants can build resilience, confidence, teamwork, and self-confidence while accessing consistent, impactful support.Please check back in March for another Lakers Youth Foundation YOU Grant opportunity!  

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2025-26 Lakers Youth Foundation January YOU Grant Winner 

The Los Angeles Lakers and Pechanga Resort Casino hosted the 2026 edition of their annual Hoops for Troops program Jan. 13 and 15, welcoming 100 active military members to Crypto.com Arena for on-court basketball clinics. The two-day event featured Lakers Legends Michael Cooper,&nbsp;Derek Fisher,&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;Green&nbsp;and&nbsp;Robert&nbsp;Horry&nbsp;leading participants through drills focused on shooting, dribbling,&nbsp;passing&nbsp;and defense. The troops also had the opportunity to speak with the Lakers Legends, ask&nbsp;questions&nbsp;and enjoy meaningful conversations on and off the court.&nbsp;

Day one brought&nbsp;active&nbsp;service members from the March Air Reserve Base together with Cooper and Green, while day two welcomed members of the U.S. Navy, joined by&nbsp;Fisher and&nbsp;Horry. Participants were divided into teams and competed in a friendly tournament, enjoying spirited competition and camaraderie on the court. Each service member received a commemorative t-shirt and tickets to that evening’s Lakers game, where they were able to bring family and friends as guests.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Service and sacrifice, we should honor them every day, all day,”&nbsp;Fisher&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;don't&nbsp;get to live the comfortable lives that we live at times without their service, and&nbsp;that's&nbsp;really why&nbsp;we're&nbsp;here. And then, Pechanga and the Lakers, and the team that helps orchestrate the operations and&nbsp;logistics&nbsp;of it, just everybody collaborating on a very purposeful and special time.”&nbsp;

Horry reflected on the meaning of the event&nbsp;and&nbsp;recalled&nbsp;his own father’s 18 years&nbsp;of service&nbsp;in the military.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I&nbsp;don't&nbsp;really call it a sacrifice taking time out of my day to come say thank you to these guys because&nbsp;it's&nbsp;so important,”&nbsp;Horry said.&nbsp;“It means a lot because I know not just what the troops sacrifice but also what the families sacrifice with the way they serve our country."&nbsp;

“It’s part of who we are, being Native Americans. We’ve had bouts in our history where the community comes up and helped out in a moment of need, so the opportunity for us to return the favor is invaluable,” said Sean Vasquez, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation.  

The annual program, created in 2015,&nbsp;invites&nbsp;military members around Southern California&nbsp;to&nbsp;the Lakers’&nbsp;home&nbsp;court&nbsp;to&nbsp;receive&nbsp;skills tips from Legends and enjoy friendly competition. Beyond the clinics, Hoops for Troops is a year-round NBA initiative recognizing active and retired service members and their families in collaboration with organizations serving the military community.&nbsp;

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Los Angeles Lakers and Pechanga Resort Casino Host 2026 Hoops for Troops Basketball Clinics

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Celebrating Season of Giving with the Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;and&nbsp;National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced&nbsp;today&nbsp;Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton&nbsp;has been named&nbsp;the November recipient of the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award.&nbsp;Ayton is recognized for his outstanding&nbsp;philanthropic&nbsp;efforts supporting youth and families across the Bahamas,&nbsp;Jamaica&nbsp;and Los Angeles through the&nbsp;Ayton&nbsp;Family Foundation (AFF),&nbsp;which was&nbsp;founded in 2019.&nbsp;Together, the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;and NBPA&nbsp;Foundation&nbsp;will&nbsp;donate&nbsp;$20,000 to&nbsp;the Ayton Family Foundation&nbsp;to&nbsp;continue&nbsp;its&nbsp;impactful&nbsp;community&nbsp;initiatives.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Over the&nbsp;past several&nbsp;months,&nbsp;Ayton has launched&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;community investments in&nbsp;St. Elizabeth Parish, his mother’s hometown,&nbsp;to support local&nbsp;families&nbsp;rebuilding&nbsp;in the aftermath of&nbsp;Hurricane Melissa.&nbsp;In July 2025,&nbsp;AFF&nbsp;revitalized&nbsp;the Cedar Spring Community Center,&nbsp;providing&nbsp;residents with access to&nbsp;food, school supplies,&nbsp;games&nbsp;and health services.&nbsp;To celebrate the reopening,&nbsp;Ayton and AFF&nbsp;hosted more than 100 children and families from surrounding areas, reinforcing the Foundation’s mission to support underserved&nbsp;populations with dignity and lasting impact.&nbsp;Additionally,&nbsp;Ayton and the&nbsp;Foundation&nbsp;committed $100,000&nbsp;toward&nbsp;immediate&nbsp;hurricane&nbsp;relief&nbsp;and long-term rebuilding efforts,&nbsp;delivering&nbsp;essential supplies to&nbsp;families&nbsp;affected by flooding, roof&nbsp;collapses&nbsp;and infrastructure damage.&nbsp;Ayton and AFF plan to continue supporting rebuilding projects across St. Elizabeth Parish in 2026.&nbsp;

"My family taught me that feeding people is love, and that’s exactly what the Foundation represents,” said Ayton. “We honor our roots by giving back, creating access&nbsp;and building a stronger future for the communities that&nbsp;made&nbsp;us who we are."&nbsp;

In&nbsp;Los Angeles,&nbsp;the Ayton Family Foundation&nbsp;launched the Ayton Ally-Oop&nbsp;Program&nbsp;to provide&nbsp;youth&nbsp;across the city&nbsp;access to live sports experiences,&nbsp;prioritizing organizations that serve underrepresented and&nbsp;economically disadvantaged&nbsp;communities.&nbsp;A central pillar of this year’s effort is the Foundation’s partnership with&nbsp;SüprMarkt&nbsp;LA, a Black-led food justice organization&nbsp;working to address&nbsp;food insecurity in South Los Angeles.&nbsp;

The NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award honors NBA legend and Hall of Famer Bob Lanier, an NBA League Office executive and NBA Cares Ambassador for more than 30 years. He had an enormous influence on the NBA family and young people globally, traveling the world to teach the values of the game and making a positive impact through his kindness and generosity. The legacy he built will continue to live on through the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, which recognizes the next generation of players’ commitment to positively&nbsp;impacting&nbsp;their communities throughout the NBA season.&nbsp;The NBA and the NBPA Foundation also make a donation to the charity or foundation of the player’s choice.&nbsp;To learn more, please visit&nbsp;communityassist.nba.com.&nbsp;

Player reactions to Ayton receiving the award are available across the&nbsp;Los Angeles Lakers social media pages.

Community

Lakers & Toyota Unveil New Community Court

Salute To Our Troops April 2026

2025-26 Lakers Youth Foundation March YOU Grant Winner

Salute to our Troops March 2026

2025-26 Lakers Youth Foundation January YOU Grant Winner

Los Angeles Lakers and Pechanga Resort Casino Host 2026 Hoops for Troops Basketball Clinics

Celebrating Season of Giving with the Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers Center Deandre Ayton Named Bob Lanier Community Assist Award November Recipient