Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo has been named one of 10 finalists for the season-long NBA Cares Community Assist Award as a result of receiving the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the month of December, the NBA announced today. The winner of the Season-Long Community Assist Award will be selected by an NBA panel of judges and through fan voting. Fans can vote for Oladipo starting today through May 18 via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #NBACommunityAssist and #VictorOladipo.
The season-long nominees, in addition to Oladipo, include past monthly winners Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies), Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves), John Wall (Washington Wizards) and three additional nominees, Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors) and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers). The NBA and Kaiser Permanente will donate $25,000 to the winner’s charity of choice. The award recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities. Fans can find additional details at http://www.nba.com/communityassist.
Oladipo received the December NBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of his charitable contributions and for his unwavering dedication to making a difference in the lives of local youth and families. Deeply affected by his elder sister Kendra, who became deaf in the second grade, Oladipo recently visited students at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., where Kendra is currently a substitute teacher. He also hosted a holiday party for children from the UCF Listening Center, which provides resources and programs for families and their children with hearing loss. In addition to treating the kids to new toys and arts and crafts, Oladipo surprised the center with a $35,000 donation toward future programming.
In addition, as part of NBA Cares and the Magic’s Season of Giving, Oladipo went above and beyond to surprise a young single mother and her daughter on Christmas Eve. Oladipo presented Sonora Walker and her 5-year-old, Taylor, with gifts for the holidays and a check to aid their transition out of a local women’s shelter. Oladipo then stunned the pair with a Kia SOUL to help Walker with transportation to and from her new job.
“I’ve been in Orlando for almost three years so, this is home now,” said Oladipo. “People here treat me with the utmost respect. I feel like I want to give back to my home.”
Information provided by the Orlando Magic communications department.