Anfernee Simons winning the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for July 2025**, with rich detail about his off-court work, the competitive field, and the wider impact of his community service.
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**Anfernee Simons Wins NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for July 2025: Outshines Two NBA Stars to Earn Honor**
In a year defined by fierce on-court battles and record-breaking performances, one player has reminded the NBA world that true greatness extends beyond hardwood statistics.
**Anfernee Simons**, the dynamic Portland Trail Blazers guard, has been awarded the prestigious **NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for the month of July 2025** — triumphing over two other top NBA stars nominated for their impactful contributions across the league.
While Simons’ playmaking has dazzled fans for years, it’s his quiet, persistent, and deeply personal efforts off the court that have earned him this distinguished recognition — a tribute not just to his compassion, but to the legacy of the award’s namesake, the late **Bob Lanier**, one of the league’s most respected humanitarians.
> “This award means more to me than any points I’ll ever score,” Simons said in an emotional press conference held at Portland’s **Boys & Girls Club**, one of the central hubs of his outreach. “It’s about doing something that lasts longer than a game.”
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### Standing Out Among the Best
Each month, the NBA selects one player for the Community Assist Award based on their outreach, volunteer work, and overall community impact. Simons’ selection was anything but a default decision — he was up against two heavyweights:
* **Jayson Tatum**, whose literacy program in Boston public schools recently donated 10,000 books to underserved elementary campuses.
* **Tyrese Haliburton**, who launched a youth tech lab and mentorship pipeline in Indianapolis to address STEM access gaps.
While the race was close, league officials and the NBA Cares committee ultimately chose Simons, citing the **depth, consistency, and personal touch** of his community involvement.
> “Anfernee Simons has built something that’s not only sustainable but deeply woven into the communities he serves,” said NBA Cares Vice President **Kathy Behrens**. “It’s not just charity — it’s presence.”
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### A Mission Rooted in Experience
Simons’ outreach isn’t corporate. It isn’t performative. It’s **personal**.
Growing up in **Altamonte Springs, Florida**, Simons experienced firsthand the challenges of growing up in a working-class neighborhood, where public resources were limited, mentorship scarce, and outlets for creativity few and far between.
> “I had talent, yes. But I had **help**,” Simons shared. “Coaches, community leaders, neighbors — people who believed in me when they didn’t have to. That’s what I want to give back.”
Since entering the NBA in 2018, Simons has quietly but deliberately built a network of initiatives spanning **youth empowerment, education access, and mental health advocacy** — particularly for Black and Latino youth in both **Portland and Central Florida**.
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### The Initiatives That Made a Difference
#### 1. **The “Simons Scholars” Program**
Launched in 2023, this signature initiative offers full college scholarships to 10 high school seniors annually from underfunded Portland-area schools. But it’s not just a check.
Each recipient also receives:
* A dedicated mentor
* Paid summer internship placement
* Mental health support services
* Access to leadership retreats
In 2025, the program expanded to include students from **Seminole County, Florida**, where Simons attended high school.
> “We want these kids to know they’re not alone — we’re invested in every part of their journey,” Simons said.
#### 2. **“Courts & Conversations”**
Held monthly in community gyms and park centers, Simons invites local youth to **discuss life beyond basketball** — tackling topics like mental health, identity, peer pressure, and self-worth.
These sessions are unrecorded, unfiltered, and moderated by social workers, often joined by Simons himself in low-key gear, sitting in folding chairs alongside students.
> “There’s power in just **listening**,” Simons said. “I don’t need to be a superhero. I just need to show up.”
#### 3. **Rebuilding Recreation**
In 2024, Simons personally donated over **\$500,000** to rebuild three dilapidated outdoor basketball courts in Portland’s northeast neighborhoods. He partnered with local artists to paint custom murals on each court reflecting youth-created themes like *unity*, *healing*, and *expression*.
He didn’t just cut a check — Simons showed up at all three unveilings, stayed for hours, and played full-court pickup games with kids of all ages.
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### A Player Teammates Admire
Though often reserved with media, Simons is **revered in locker rooms** not just for his game, but his humanity.
> “He’s the most low-key superstar you’ll meet,” said teammate **Shaedon Sharpe**. “But he’s always doing the most — and not for clout. For *people*.”
Portland head coach **Chauncey Billups** added:
> “You talk about role models in the NBA? Start with Anfernee. He’s proof you don’t need to be loud to lead.”
Even opponents took time to congratulate him on the award.
> “Class act all the way. Much respect,” tweeted **De’Aaron Fox**.
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### Honoring Bob Lanier’s Legacy
The Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, established in 2022 after the Hall of Famer’s passing, celebrates players who embody Lanier’s commitment to community enrichment. Lanier, who played 14 NBA seasons and later served as an NBA Global Ambassador, was known for his warmth, generosity, and belief in youth empowerment.
> “Mr. Lanier gave everything to this league and beyond,” Simons said. “To receive an award in his name is one of the proudest moments of my life.”
Simons was presented with the award during a private ceremony at the **Salvation Army Moore Street Community & Family Center** in Portland — a site where he’s volunteered consistently for the past five years.
Children from the neighborhood surprised him with a thank-you mural and a performance of a spoken word piece titled *“Our Voice, Our Hero.”*
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
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### Community Leaders Weigh In
Local educators, youth workers, and nonprofit leaders who’ve worked with Simons were quick to praise the NBA’s decision.
* **Maria Chen**, a high school counselor from Grant High School:
> “Our students don’t need more heroes on billboards. They need heroes in *hallways*. Anfernee is one of those heroes.”
* **David Olaniyi**, director of the Portland Youth Collective:
> “What makes him different? He follows up. He checks in. He remembers names. He knows these kids’ birthdays. That’s not PR. That’s real.”
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### More Than an Award
While the honor comes with a \$25,000 grant to a charity of Simons’ choice (which he has directed to **Black Men United for Youth Leadership**), the point, he says, is never about the spotlight.
> “We’re not saving lives with basketball,” Simons said. “But we can *change* lives with what basketball gives us — a platform, a purpose.”
He says his ultimate goal isn’t to be remembered for stats, game-winners, or All-Star appearances.
> “If a kid 20 years from now says, ‘Because of Anfernee, I didn’t give up’ — then that’s my ring.”
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### The Road Ahead
At just 25 years old, Simons is far from done — both on and off the court.
Fresh off averaging a career-best **21.8 points and 6.3 assists per game** in the 2024–25 season, he’s become a centerpiece in Portland’s retooling efforts. Off the court, he’s working to establish a **nonprofit foundation** by early 2026 that will expand his programs nationally.
He’s also developing a **digital mentorship app** for youth who don’t live near NBA cities, designed to connect teens to motivational content, live chat with mentors, and scholarships.
> “We live in a connected world — so let’s *connect*,” Simons said.
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### Final Thoughts: Redefining the Modern NBA Star
In an era where superstardom is often equated with branding, highlight reels, and social media followers, Anfernee Simons offers a refreshing — and much needed — redefinition.
He’s the kind of star who doesn’t need the stage to shine. His community sees it. His teammates see it. And now, the league sees it too.
> “It’s easy to put on a jersey,” Simons said as the ceremony closed. “It’s harder to show up without one — to be there, unfiltered, unguarded, human. But that’s what the game gave me. And it’s what I want to give back.”
With that, Simons stepped down from the podium. But he didn’t leave. He stayed to sign every autograph, take every photo, and most importantly — listen.
Just like always.
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