Getty Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid dunks the ball during a game against the Utah Jazz.
Through the NBA All-Star break, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has definitely earned his spot as a frontrunner in the MVP race. His current line of 30 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and 1.4 blocks per game with shooting splits of 52-42-86 is trending toward being one of the best campaigns put together by a big man in league history.
As brilliant as he has been on the hardwood, though, his efforts away from the court continue to be of equal note.
On Saturday, Philadelphia’s would-be MVP revealed that he would be parlaying the financial windfall from his fourth All-Star selection into something that could make a major difference in the community.
Joel Embiid to Donate the Entirety of His All-Star Payout
As reported first by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter, Embiid has committed to donating his winnings from Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game to homeless shelters in the greater Philadelphia area.
That amounts to $100,000 to provide meals, clothing, healthcare and other forms of assistance.
“So many have fallen on such hard times during the pandemic,” Embiid said in the official release. “I felt it was important to provide more support for individuals and families struggling with homelessness and food insecurity. I’m continually grateful for all of the support that Philadelphia and the fans have given me not just around All-Star but all my years in the league. I will continue to help in any way I can.”
Per the release, Embiid’s donation — which will benefit Project HOME, Sunday Breakfast Mission and Youth Service INC. — will provide the following:
- 15,000 meals for homeless and underserved individuals
- 4,000 essential clothing items donated to homeless teens and adults
- Care and treatment of 1,000 homeless individuals receiving COVID-19 vaccines
- Support for 30+ formerly homeless families – including education, health care, and employment services
- Funding for a six-week summer camp for 50+ homeless and at-risk youth
- Shelter and essential needs for over 300 teens facing homelessness or home insecurity
.@JoelEmbiid announced today that he will donate his winnings from Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game to Philadelphia homeless shelters, including Project HOME, Sunday Breakfast Mission and Youth Service INC.
📰⤵️
Beyond Basketball
Embiid is no stranger to putting his resources to work, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
He made headlines last April when he teamed up with 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to donate $1.3 million to Penn Medicine, as relayed by The Patriot-News. The donation established a funding campaign for the COVID-19 antibody testing of frontline healthcare workers.
“During this pandemic, many doctors and nurses are working like soldiers on the front lines of a war and they need to be provided with as much armor as possible in this battle,” Embiid said at the time. “COVID-19 antibody testing can help Philadelphia health care workers at this critical time, and we need to do everything possible to help those heroes who are putting their lives at risk to help us.”
Just days before that initiative was announced, Embiid had promised to contribute $500,000 to medical efforts, while also vowing to help Sixers employees who were met with salary reductions amid the pandemic, as noted by NBC Sports.
The Process Takes Atlanta
Embiid will suit up for Team Durant in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, which will emanate from State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The contest will air on TNT at 8 p.m. ET, with the NBA All-Star Tipoff Show beginning at 5 p.m. ET.