Reggie Bullock Won The NBA’s 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award

The Dallas Mavericks will host the Golden State Warriors in a pivotal Game 3 matchup on Sunday night in the Western Conference Finals, as the Mavs look to get on the board in the series, but before tipoff, Mavs forward Reggie Bullock received a special honor as he was named the recipient of the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award from the NBA.

Bullock was selected from a group of finalists that included Jrue Holiday, Jaren Jackson Jr., Karl-Anthony Towns, and Fred VanVleet, and with the award comes a $100,000 donation in his name to the organization of his choice — the other four finalists each got $25,000 to donate to an organization. Bullock chose Kinston Teens, a youth organization in his native Kinston, North Carolina that is focused on community development and youth empowerment. Bullock received the award for his work with the LGBTQ+ community, as he has become an advocate after his sister was murdered eight years ago.

After his sister, Mia Henderson – a transgender woman – was murdered in 2014, Bullock dedicated his life to honoring her legacy and fighting for increased visibility and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. Upon joining the Mavericks ahead of the 2021-22 season, Bullock immediately connected with 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, to take action in support of their work.

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

Bullock joined Ernie Johnson and the Turner crew for an interview prior to the game to speak on the importance of connecting with the right groups and being an advocate and ally by using his platform to speak out on violence against trans women and other marginalized groups.