Role Players: Six Lesser-Known NBA Players Engaged in Philanthropy
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The Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkić also plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina National team and gives in his home country. Photo: Yorda/shutterstock
As we gear up for another year of NBA Playoffs goodness, a common refrain is that it isn’t just about the LeBrons and the Steph Currys, but about the role players who hit clutch shots and make hustle plays. Jordan’s Bulls had Steve Kerr. And last week, my beloved Miami Heat weren’t sunk by stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but by 35-year-old veteran Nic Batum, who turned back the clock and hit six three-pointers as the Philadelphia 76ers beat Miami in the play-in by one point.
It’s the same in philanthropy — we shouldn’t only focus on the biggest names. Over the past few years covering sports giving, I’ve compiled lists about giving by top NBA stars, and I’ve spoken with the likes of Stephen and Ayesha Curry, Kevin Love, Tobias Harris and Jalen Rose — not to mention covering giving by legendary figures from other sports leagues, as well. But what about some lesser-known NBA players who are also philanthropic?
When it comes to major professional sports leagues, there is plenty of money to be had even if you aren’t a star name. Per Statista, the minimum salary for players signing contracts in the 2023-2024 NBA season was over $1.1 million, the first time the minimum salary has exceeded the million-dollar mark. That can add up to serious cash, some of which will end up benefiting nonprofit causes.
Here’s a rundown of six lesser-known NBA players standing up foundations, thinking about philanthropy and making an impact. For this particular list, we’ll focus on players with their own foundations.
Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies
A key piece of the Boston Celtics’ success over the past decade, fiery veteran guard Marcus Smart now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. He earned some $18.5 million with the Grizzlies this year, and is set to make a significant salary for the next few years. In 2016, while he was till in Beantown, he started Marcus Smart's YounGameChanger Foundation to empower inner city student athletes both on the court or field and off. The foundation focuses on STEAM education, sports and mentorship, as well as working with pediatric cancer patients and their families. Its work isn’t limited to Tennessee and Massachusetts, by the way. Recent support has also gone to Tree Street Youth in Maine, the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence, and For Oak Cliff, a community center in Dallas, Texas.
Larry Nance Jr., New Orleans Pelicans
The son of former Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers star Larry Nance Sr., the younger Nance is known as an athletic spark plug. But earlier in life, he dealt with debilitating symptoms of undiagnosed Crohn’s disease. In 2017, Nance co-founded Athletes vs. Crohn’s and Colitis to inspire and mentor young athletes battling the disease. The ultimate goal of the organization is to cure the disease. “While nobody wants to hear that they have a chronic illness, I did feel a sense of relief when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s, because I finally had some answers and could start treatment that would make me feel normal,” Nance said for the organization’s website.
Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns
Towering Bosnian center Jusuf Nurkic has been engaged in philanthropy for a while, launching the Jusuf Nurkić Foundation to benefit women and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The nonprofit focuses on providing legal aid for at-risk women and children, addressing pollution and climate change, and supporting sports, education and access to healthcare. The Suns center has long been outspoken about his beliefs and once donated 100 tons of flour to Pomozi.ba, a humanitarian organization in Bosnia. He also played an active role in its Ramadan 2022 campaign, providing food packages and evening meals to the poor. He might eventually wade into gun safety issues, once saying during a press conference that he doesn’t understand why in America “everyone has so many guns.”
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Young Oklahoma City rookie Chet Holmgren is part of a revamped OKC team that hasn’t looked this good since they made the finals back in 2012 with Durant, Westbrook and Harden. At just 21, Holmgren has already launched the Chet Holmgren Foundation, which recently partnered with JD Sports to build a new community basketball court in the Oklahoma City metro area in winter 2024. This may become a pet area for the young player. “Hopefully, it’s the first of many,” Holmgren said at the unveiling.
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors
NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton is one of the few players to make Michael Jordan (occasionally) look human. His son, Gary Payton II, is also a defensive stopper in his own right for the Warriors. Off the court, he has been open about growing up with dyslexia, which inspired him to start the Gary Payton II Foundation, which promotes dyslexia awareness, early screening, detection and certified assessment for youth and young adults with “language-based learning challenges.” Among the foundation’s efforts is its Wellness Initiative, in collaboration with Mobilize Love and UCSF, which works within communities of color in the Bay Area to offer on-site dyslexia screening to families, along with wellness services and educational resources. The organization is a family affair, with Payton’s sister Raquel Payton serving as executive director of the foundation.
Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
It’s almost unfair to have a high-flying big man like Aaron Gordon next to superstar Nikola Jokic, but that’s been the story in the Mile High City over the last few years. The Gordon Family Giving Foundation focuses on providing community services and STEM education to underrepresented youth. Gordon runs the foundation with his mother, Shelly Davis Gordon, a longtime Silicon Valley computer scientist and engineer. Back when Gordon was on the Orlando Magic, he also launched CodeOrlando, an “immersive STEM experience” which will be hosted at University of Central Florida’s College of Community Innovation and Education each summer through 2025.
