Trae Young’s first stretch in Washington has reached well beyond the Wizards’ practice floor. The guard has been selected as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award offseason recipient after directing support toward college access, hunger relief, youth recreation and community events in the District and his home state of Oklahoma.
Key takeaways
- Young earns the Community Assist honor for the third time in his NBA career.
- The NBA and NBPA Foundation will send a combined $20,000 to DC Central Kitchen and the DC College Access Program.
- Young’s family foundation committed $100,000 after his move to Washington, splitting the amount evenly between the two D.C. organizations.
- More than 175 young players attended Young’s four-hour skills clinic in Prince George’s County.
- A second Young Family Athletic Center is planned for Yukon, Oklahoma, following the Norman facility that opened two years ago.
Washington commitment began with education and food programs
Young and the Trae Young Family Foundation pledged $50,000 to DC College Access Program and another $50,000 to DC Central Kitchen. DC CAP works with students in D.C. public and charter high schools as they pursue college enrollment and graduation. DC Central Kitchen operates culinary workforce training, school-meal service and hunger-relief efforts throughout the city.
Young said the recognition carries weight because his work away from games matters as much to him as his work on the court. He said he appreciates the support he has felt from both Washington and Oklahoma, adding that he wants to keep creating openings for people in each community and let them know someone is backing them.
His birthday week in the Washington area turned into a three-day run of school, hospital and basketball stops. Young spoke with students at Thurgood Marshall High School, Friendship Technology Prep and Monument Academy, focusing on mental health, resilience and navigating hard circumstances.
He also visited pediatric patients and their families at MedStar Georgetown Hospital, bringing signed jerseys during the surprise stop. The schedule included a free Pro-Am Day at Oxon Hill High School and the From the Point Youth Skills Clinic at Prince George’s County Community College. Young took part in drills with groups of children alongside coaches from the Jr. Wizards youth basketball program.
Oklahoma recreation project remains a foundation priority
In July, Young and his foundation announced plans to build a second youth athletics and recreation site in Yukon. The project comes two years after the opening of the Young Family Athletic Center in Norman.
The Yukon facility is expected to follow the framework established in Norman, an approximately 122,000-square-foot complex with adaptable basketball and volleyball courts, competition pools and programming that runs throughout the year. The Trae Young Family Foundation has contributed more than $4 million toward developing and improving athletic and recreational facilities across Oklahoma.
The award carries the name of Hall of Famer Bob Lanier, who served for more than three decades as an NBA League Office executive and NBA Cares ambassador. Lanier traveled internationally to share basketball’s values with young people and became known across the league for his generosity and community work.
The Community Assist program recognizes player-led service work during the NBA calendar. One offseason recipient is chosen, followed by seven monthly honorees during the season. The offseason award includes the Bob Lanier trophy, while monthly winners receive the David Robinson trophy, and the NBA and NBPA Foundation make charitable donations connected to each recipient’s chosen cause.
