As announced by the NBA Monday morning, veteran Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill is among the five recepients for this year’s NBA Cares Community Assist award.
Veteran Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill has long spoken about things being bigger than the game of basketball. Not only that, his actions have lived up to that as well, whether it’s been in Milwaukee or the other communities he’s played over his 11-year career.
On Monday morning, Hill’s efforts off the court got recognized by the NBA at large as he’s one of the five recipients for this year’s NBA Cares Community Assist award.
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The other four players taking share of this year’s award are Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks.
Since arriving to the Bucks organization in December of 2018, Hill’s contributions to Milwaukee have been a regular sight throughout his tenure.
Whether it’s been speaking out against systemic racism, sparking the Bucks’ walkout ahead of Game 5 against the Orlando Magic or recently opening his charter school in Indianapolis, Hill’s leadership and voice has not only imprinted the Bucks’ locker room, but throughout the city of Milwaukee and beyond.
As Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relayed, Hill discussed what receiving the award means to him for all of his off-the-court endeavors:
"“To receive it is humbling,” Hill said after thanking his teammates at the Bucks organization. “It’s something that I’ve always dreamed about trying to win. … That’s one of the awards that I’ve always wanted to win more than a three-point contest or most improved or even sometimes a championship. You can win a championship, but the amount of fulfillment that I get knowing I impacted a whole community is bigger than a championship for me.“It’s what I stand for, it’s how I live and I think that’s how the world should try to see itself, to impact other people’s lives.”"
As part of receiving the award, Hill chose to donate $10,000 to the charity of his choice, that being Represent Justice. Represent Justice was the charity that the Bucks partnered with for their trip to a Racine Correctional Institution in last December.
From that aforementioned piece by Velazquez, Hill shared why he’s embraced the community of Milwaukee and Bucks fans in general as much as they have embraced him on and off the court:
"“Milwaukee has embraced me with open arms since the day I got here, not just the team but the community and fans,” he said. “The least I can do is show my support for them and be there for support for them but at the same time try to do as much as I can to give back to those people.”"
For all of the work that Hill has done not only since coming to Milwaukee, but throughout his entire NBA career, it’s an incredibly deserving honor for the 34-year-old. Congratulations George!