The NBA has announced Chicago Bulls guard-forward DeMar DeRozan as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for March. DeRoznan is being recognized for his contributions to mental health advocacy and supporting youth in Chicago. He will receive the David Robinson trophy and the NBA will donate $10,000 to Coffee, Hip-Hop and Mental Health, a mental health advocacy group in Chicago.
Throughout February and March, DeRozan released “Dinners with DeMar’’ a new video series where he hosts current and former NBA players to have impactful conversations about mental health at the dinner table. Since the series was launched, he has hosted three full-length episodes featuring Draymond Green, Damian Lillard and Dwayne Wade. Every episode features over 45 minutes of meaningful dialogue and transparent conversations on mental health for athletes and society.
The series has gathered over 425,000 views on YouTube and is a way to break the stigma surrounding mental health challenges. Furthermore, DeRozan hosted a premiere for the series at his alma mater, the University of Southern California (USC), where he and student-athletes from the men’s and women’s basketball teams share how they manage their mental health. Full episodes and short clips are available on his YouTube channel with additional episodes to be released in the future.
Throughout the season, DeRozan has partnered with Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health (CHHAMH), a Chicago non-profit that provides free therapy to those facing financial barriers to break the stigma around mental health. In March, CHHAMH launched a DeMar DeRoznan-inspired coffee drink and hoodie with funds benefiting the local coffee shop and their weekly men’s group therapy meetings for an entire year. DeRoznan amplified the impact by inviting Bulls teammates, Patrick Williams and Dalen Terry, to join him in a few sessions with the men’s therapy group.
“As a Bulls and NBA player, I’m grateful for the opportunity to build a platform I can use to make real change and work to break the stigma around mental health,” said DeRozan. “Throughout the years, I’ve seen what can happen when people have honest conversations about mental health and understand that everyone faces challenges, including professional athletes. I look forward to creating more forums for difficult but necessary conversations and providing more resources to support mental health for those who most need it.”
In addition to his work around mental health advocacy, DeRoznan has also been involved in the Chicago community supporting youth. In March, he partnered with Make-A-Wish to provide a VIP experience for a child and his family that included a meet and greet with the Bulls team, observing practice and courtside seats to a game. Earlier this year, he hosted a young Chicago fan and cancer survivor along with his family on the team plane for a road game.
DeRoznan will officially be awarded in-arena as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner during the pre-game of the April 17 Hawks-Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament match. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas will present him with the award.
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