Thu May 08 00:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Celtics’ Jrue Holiday Wins NBA’s Social Justice Champion Award

**BOSTON, MA –** Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has been named the NBA’s Social Justice Champion for the 2022-23 season, the league announced Wednesday. This prestigious award, which comes with a $100,000 donation to the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund (JLH Fund) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, recognizes Holiday’s extensive and impactful off-court work promoting social justice.

Holiday was selected from a field of finalists including Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Harrison Barnes (San Antonio Spurs), Chris Boucher (Toronto Raptors), and CJ McCollum (New Orleans Pelicans). The award, the NBA stated, honors individuals advancing social justice and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission of equality.

The JLH Fund, co-founded by Holiday and his wife Lauren five years ago, has already distributed over $5.3 million in grants and provided nearly 200 businesses with over 400 hours of coaching and support. The fund’s origins trace back to Holiday’s 2019-20 season, when he pledged $5 million of his salary to aid communities affected by systemic racism and economic injustice.

Since then, the JLH Fund has expanded its reach, recently assisting victims of the California wildfires and providing grants and mentorship from prestigious institutions like MIT, Harvard, and Suffolk University.

NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum praised Holiday’s dedication, stating, “Since entering the league, Jrue Holiday has dedicated himself to helping others in their times of greatest need and pursuing a more just society for all. The selflessness that defines his game is even more evident in the work he and his wife Lauren do off the floor.”

The award selection panel included Tatum, Abdul-Jabbar, human rights activist Richard Lapchick, and representatives from the National Urban League, UnidosUS, and the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA. This accolade follows Holiday’s recent win of the NBA Sportsmanship Award, marking another testament to his character both on and off the court.

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