What is the coldest assist you have ever seen? Was it a behind-the-back pass? An alley-oop off the glass?

That no-look might have been smooth, but the NBA and WNBA x State Farm connection just entered the conversation.

For the past eight seasons, the NBA and State Farm have come together to turn on-court dimes into off-court assists in communities around the country.

For every assist that is made during a regular season, playoff and Finals game, $5 is donated to enhance STEM learning and technology and mental health spaces in classrooms and afterschool programs across the country.

And of course, the WNBA had to join in on the fun. The same act of kindness results from every assist made during WNBA regular season, playoff and Finals games.

What’s even more of a slam dunk for this program is that the NBA and WNBA both donated $1,900 per assist from their All-Star Games to represent their 19,000 State Farm agents across the country.

But how did we get here?

NBA Vice President of Social Impact Eric DiMiceli has been a part of the program since its tipoff. When asked why children were the perfect recipients of these donations, he was elated.

“This is the next generation of our world,” DiMiceli explained. “We’ve been able to get more dollars to get into spaces for kids & families to live, work and play.”

Since the 2015-16 NBA season, the NBA Cares State Farm Assist Tracker efforts have helped over 425,000 youth throughout 87 communities across the country, providing $3.2 million dollars to youth and families.

When DiMiceli was put on the spot, he was as quick as a Diana Taurasi crossover to name his starting five for notable names who’ve had their hand in building these spaces for the youth.

“Chris Paul, Allie Quigley, Alysha Clark, Jaren Jackson Jr., and the entire 2023 NBA Draft Class,” DiMiceli said without hesitation.

On the court or off the court, that squad isn’t anything to mess around with.

“The Assist Tracker program is just one way sports can have a positive impact on local communities,” said Kristyn Cook, Chief Agency, Sales and Marketing Officer for State Farm. “As longtime sponsors of both the NBA and WNBA, we believe sports have a unique way of bringing ‘neighbors’ together. We look forward to continuing this important community-building work.”

When it comes to facilitating the benefits of the State Farm Tracker program, the Heart of America organization has been the John Stockton for the NBA, WNBA and State Farm.

President & CEO of Heart of America Jill Hardy Heath has had a front-row seat to see the connection between the players and youth. She emphasized that these projects were not only transforming spaces, but also changing lives.

“We see increased attendance, space usage and just pure excitement,” Heath said. “It’s like the holidays have come early for these teachers and students.”

Given its success, where can the State Farm Assist Tracker program go from here? Rightfully so, the bar has been set high thanks to NBA and WNBA personnel.

However, Heath kept it simple when asked what she desires for the program going forward.

“What I wish is for us to continue this championship run,” Heath said. “Let’s get into more communities, inspire more kids and help these future generations realize their full potential.”

This championship team of the NBA, WNBA, State Farm and Heart of America sounds like it will continue to positively impact lives for many more seasons to come.

All participants can also follow along online, as the State Farm Assist Tracker logs the league’s current assist total at stats.nba.com. and stats.wnba.com.