Pacers’ Brogdon wins PBWA’s 2019-20 citizenship award

Malcolm Brogdon has worked to promote education, gender and health equality. The Indiana Pacers guard also has been highly visible in his support of criminal justice and voting reform.

His work has been noticed. Brogdon was named Thursday as the 2019-20 winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which honors the player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.

The award is administered and selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association. After five finalists were picked by a PBWA committee from nominees submitted by NBA teams, the winner was determined by a vote of the PBWA’s membership, which includes more than 200 writers and editors.

“The depth and breadth of Malcolm Brogdon’s commitment to making a positive difference is inspiring,” said Josh Robbins of The Athletic and the PBWA president. “Members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association salute him and commend his fellow finalists and nominees for their exemplary work.”

The other finalists were former Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (now with Milwaukee), Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie and Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce.

Brogdon, who turns 28 on Dec. 11, is the second Indiana player to win the award, following Reggie Miller in 2003-04.

A four-year NBA veteran, Brogdon launched the Brogdon Family Foundation in July with a focus on two major initiatives, Hoops4Humanity and the JHA Education Project.

Hoops4Humanity, led by Brogdon and several other NBA and WNBA players, seeks to create access to clean water and education for children and families in Africa. It builds on the efforts of Hoops2O, a program founded by Brogdon in 2018 that raised nearly $700,000 in 18 months to build water wells in Tanzania.

The JHA Education Project celebrates the legacy of Brogdon’s maternal grandfather, John Hurst Adams, a former civil rights leader and Paul Quinn College president. The project focuses on literacy, mentoring and infrastructure programs for students in underserved communities. It has partnered with Indianapolis Public Schools to provide students with high-impact educational experiences. Brogdon’s emphasis on education also includes his “Tuesday Talks” series, where he leads discussions with at-risk Black youths about overcoming challenges and reaching goals.

The Brogdon Family Foundation launched soon after Brogdon participated in a peaceful protest in his native Atlanta in May in the wake of George Floyd’s death. In a USA Today op-ed article, Brogdon described his experience at the protest and proposed solutions to combat systemic racism and promote social justice.

Brogdon came to the Pacers in a trade with Milwaukee a year ago. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds, all career highs, in 54 games.