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Reggie Bullock named NBA’s 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion

Dallas Mavericks v Phoenix Suns - Game Two

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 04: Reggie Bullock #25 of the Dallas Mavericks warms up before Game Two of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Footprint Center on May 04, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Reggie Bullock started down this path in 2014 when his sister, Mia Henderson — a transgender woman — was murdered. In the wake of that tragedy, the Mavericks’ wing has dedicated himself to fighting for increased visibility and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, something he has done to honor her legacy.

Sunday, the NBA announced Bullock was the inaugural winner of the NBA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award. With that, Bullock has selected Kinston Teens, a youth-led organization focused on community development and youth empowerment in his native Kinston, North Carolina, to receive a $100,000 contribution on his behalf.

“We are all one, and I believe love lies in everybody’s heart,” Bullock said. “It’s incredibly important to me as a cisgender athlete to stand in support of the trans and LGBTQ+ community.”

Bullock, a nine-year NBA veteran, signed as a free agent with the Mavericks last summer and quickly reached out to LGBTQ+ organizations in the Dallas area, including Abounding Prosperity, Dallas Southern Pride, House of Rebirth, The Black-Tie Dinner, the Resource Center and the Muhlashia Booker Foundation. Bullock has taken action to support of their work.

Bullock has lost two of his sisters, Henderson and Keiosha Moore, to gun violence, and has written on the topic at the Players Tribune. He also talked about it during his time with the Lakers.

He has turned unimaginable personal tragedy into a mission to help others not feel that same pain and loss.

Bullock was selected as the winner from among five finalists and was chosen by a committee headed by Abdul-Jabbar himself. The four other finalists for the award were: Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns and Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet. Each will receive $25,000 donations from the NBA to social justice organizations of their choice.