San Antonio star Patty Mills has been announced as one of ten finalists for the National Basketball Association's Cares Community Assist Award.
The fan-voted gong honours a players positive ongoing impact to their community over the course of the season.
The winner will receive a $250,000 donation to go to an organisation of their choosing, as well as a plaque named for Spurs great David Robinson, who was also known for his community service.
In February, the Muralag and Nyunga man founded the Indigenous Community Basketball League which underway for players aged 14 and under in eight locations across Australia.
The tournaments are aimed to preserve and celebrate Indigenous cultural practices, with a focus on basketball development and life skills education, including mental and physical wellbeing as well as strengthening individual identity at what is a crucial age.
Mills also partnered with the NBA and the Jr. NBA to kick off the National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) on the Gold Coast in Queensland in April, which provided additional on and off court development opportunities for 48 boys and girls.
Spurs star Patty Mills is in the running for the NBA's community service award Source: Getty Images
In 2020, he donated a portion of his 2019-20 season salary to social justice organisations and helped launch the ‘We Got You’ campaign in collaboration with other high-profile Australian athletes, dedicated to eliminating racism, exclusion and discrimination in sports.
Mills also organized a $750,000 donation from nine Australian NBA players in the wake of the devastating Australian bushfires earlier in the year.
The winner for the award will be announced in the NBA postseason.
