The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) have selected Memphis
Grizzlies guard Mike Conley as one of five finalists for the 2018-19 J. Walter
Kennedy Citizenship Award.
The honor, named after the NBA’s second commissioner, has been presented
annually since the 1974-75 season by the PBWA and is given to a player, coach or
athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.
The other finalists include Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, Phoenix
Suns guard Devin Booker, Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, and
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
Conley has donated over $1.2 million to the Grizzlies Foundation during his
career, which focuses on creating and implementing programs to help students
develop and maximize their potential. The foundation also supports Grizzlies
Preparatory School which primarily focuses on educating, shaping and providing
opportunities for young men of color in Memphis. Conley was awarded with the
January NBA Cares Community Assist Award, and on behalf of Conley, the NBA and
Kaiser Permanente donated $10,000 to Grizzlies Prep.
As part of National Mentoring Month and to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., Conley was a part of a TNT feature that focused on the work NBA
players are doing with local schools. Conley participated in a conversation,
alongside NBA legend Isiah Thomas, with five students from Grizzlies Prep. The
opportunity allowed Conley to have an open dialogue with young scholars on
social justice and how they can honor the work and legacy of Dr. King. Conley
utilized his platform as a professional athlete to bring awareness to social
injustices, and the importance of being involved with the next generation,
before leading the students on a tour of the National Civil Rights Museum.
In addition, recently Conley and the Grizzlies invited the family of 9-year-old
Kameren Johnson to a home game at FedExForum. Kameren was on an Arkansas bus
carrying Orange Mound Youth Association football players when the bus crashed
and tragically took Kameren’s life. Conley also invited teammates and coaches to
sit courtside with Kameren’s family. Following the game, he donated $15,000 to
assist with medical bills and counseling for all of Johnson’s teammates and
donated a customized pair of game-worn sneakers to Johnson’s mother.
This past September, Conley hosted his 10th annual “Mike Conley Bowl-N-Bash,” a
fundraising bowling event that benefits the Methodist Healthcare Comprehensive
Sickle Cell Center, which raised over $100,000. Conley and his family announced
a $500,000 donation to support the Sickle Cell Center in late April. In
recognition of this commitment and generosity, the Center’s clinic space will
now be named The Mike and Mary Conley Comprehensive Sickle Cell Clinic.
Conley becomes the second Grizzlies player in franchise history to be named a
finalist for the award, joining Zach Randolph, who was a finalist during the
2014-15 season. Current Grizzlies center Joakim Noah won the award that season
as a member of the Chicago Bulls.
All 30 NBA teams were eligible to submit nominations for the J. Walter Kennedy
Citizenship Award, and the five finalists were determined by a committee of 25
PBWA members who reviewed the teams’ nominations and conducted a vote. The
winner will be determined through a vote of the PBWA’s full membership.
Player: Mike Conley
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