Steph named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion

Steph Curry beat out Chris Paul, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tre Jones and Grant Williams for the honor, which was created in 2021.

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Stephen Curry once again defeated longtime competitor Chris Paul in the process of becoming a champion.

The Warriors superstar was named the 2022-23 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion, an award named after the legendary center, the NBA announced Tuesday. Curry is the first member of the Warriors to earn the honor, which was created in 2021.

Coming one week after writers covering the league bestowed upon Curry a citizenship award, named after former NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy, the Abdul-Jabbar award represents a commitment to “engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.”

Here are some examples of Curry’s dedication to causes beyond basketball: Along with his wife, Ayesha, conceived the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which provides meals and educational materials to underserved children in Oakland; his lifestyle brand, Underrated, is designed to generate opportunities for those who might otherwise be overlooked; he provided $6 million to restart the golf program at Howard University, a historically Black college; he is a co-chair of Michelle Obama’s “When We All Vote” initiative.

By virtue of winning the award, the NBA, on behalf of Curry, will make a $100,000 donation to the University of San Francisco Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice.

Curry, 35, chose the organization, which “investigates, illuminates, and advances the theory and practice of transformational nonviolence to confront and overcome injustice and systemic violence and contribute to the just resolution of communal conflict.”

“I’m passionate about the work of the University of San Francisco Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice and its commitment to overcoming injustice and systemic violence through peace,” Curry said in a statement. “As an athlete, I consistently leverage my platform to amplify advocacy and address the pervasive issue of systemic racism. I firmly believe that we must be vocal both on social media and in real life, taking tangible actions to effect real change in our society and for generations to come.

“Together, with the organization's co-founder and director, Dr. Clarence B. Jones, we have initiated meaningful conversations around social justice with the school's student body, doubled the charity’s donations through my foundation Eat. Learn. Play.'s gift matching initiatives and continued building on its mission in my personal and professional life by holding people accountable and promoting the principles of justice, fairness and equality today, tomorrow and in the future.”

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Curry received the award over four other finalists: Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tre Jones of the San Antonio Spurs, Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics, and Paul of the Phoenix Suns. All four will receive $25,000 donations to programs of their choice.

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