The NBPA Foundation, NBPA members, and Team Rubicon are partnering to support and serve communities before, during and after disaster.

NEW YORK, NY, November 8, 2023 — The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation announced today that Team Rubicon, a veteran-led global humanitarian organization, has been selected as its official Disaster Response Partner. Through the partnership, the NBPA Foundation, its members, and Team Rubicon will work together to support and serve communities that face disasters.

The partnership exemplifies the NBPA Foundation and its members’ dedication to serving those affected by disasters and empowers current and former NBA players to further catalyze change. In addition to the Disaster Response Partnership, the Foundation also has a rapid response matching grant fund, where players can request up to $25,000 to go towards a 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s disaster relief efforts.

“The NBPA Foundation is proud to announce Team Rubicon as our official Disaster Response Partner, reinforcing the collective commitment of our members to support communities in need,” said Executive Director of the NBPA Foundation Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Together, we aim to make an impact by leveraging our resources and platforms to provide timely assistance to communities during crises."

The NBPA Foundation is in a unique position to mobilize quickly for disaster relief due to its members’ deep ties to communities both nationally and globally. The partnership with Team Rubicon ensures timely and tailored assistance for affected communities and extends beyond the United States, supporting responses to disasters in players’ home countries. Beyond immediate relief, the Foundation leverages the global basketball community to inspire support for long-term recovery and community resilience.

“Partnership is essential to reach communities in need. This is why we are thankful to the National Basketball Players Association for investing in our mission,” said Team Rubicon CEO Art delaCruz. “With the NBPA, Team Rubicon can call upon local players across the country when their neighbors are impacted by disaster.”

In 2023 so far, Team Rubicon has launched 121 disaster operations, including serving communities in Florida and Georgia following Hurricane Idalia, on Maui after the wildfires, and in Chicago following summer floods. Team Rubicon’s over 160,000-strong volunteer cadre, known as Greyshirts, has completed more than 1,200 response operations both domestically and internationally since its establishment in 2010.

“This formal partnership is an extension of the relationship between the NBPA and Team Rubicon,” delaCruz said. “Special thanks to Stephanie Rawlings-Blake who has been a supporter and recently joined our Board of Advisors to lead Team Rubicon into the future.”

In August, Rawlings-Blake was named to Team Rubicon’s Board of Advisors, joining disaster response, business, entertainment, and military professionals. Through their collaboration, networks, expertise, and ideas, the Board of Advisors enables Team Rubicon to mobilize service-minded volunteers to expand the range of services provided while enhancing real-time response.

For media inquiries, please contact communications@nbpa.com.

About NBPA Foundation

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation, established in 1997, is a global non-profit organization driven to uplift communities worldwide, and support and preserve the legacy of the player-members. Led by Executive Director Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the Foundation amplifies the transformative work of professional basketball players through strategic funding and global communication of their charitable initiatives and social entrepreneurship efforts. The NBPA Foundation stands as a testament to the power of partnership, unity, and purpose in driving meaningful, positive change. Learn more about the NBPA Foundation at: nbpafoundation.com.

About Team Rubicon

Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has grown to more than 160,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched over 1,200 operations domestically and internationally. To drive equity across disaster and humanitarian services, Team Rubicon focuses on three areas of impact: disaster services- from mitigation to immediate response to recovery; rebuild services- maintaining the fabric of communities through resilient building methods; and international services- providing emergent and surge medical services, WASH, and disaster risk reduction. Visit www.teamrubiconusa.org for more information.