Blazers Forward Carmelo Anthony Wins NBA Social Justice Award

Carmelo Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers has won the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award. The news broke across social media and multiple outlets today.

Marc J. Spears of ESPN sums up the honor:

The NBA said Anthony, a 10-time NBA All-Star, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was selected “for his dedication over the past year to pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.”

Anthony had been nominated along with Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, and Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris.

In the video below, you can see Hall-of-Famer Abdul-Jabbar inform Anthony that he is the first recipient of the award.

Anthony tweeted soon after:

Humbled, honored, and motivated to live up to the namesake of this inaugural award. I can promise that I’ll continue to carry the torch and shine a light in the places that need it most.

Anthony played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets before joining the Blazers in 2019.