Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns wins NBA's social justice award

Karl-Anthony Towns won the NBA's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award Thursday.

The award started in 2021 to honor a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and upholding the league's values of equality, respect and inclusion.

"I am proud to have played a role in the passing of Minnesota's Restore the Vote bill and I will always be committed to supporting social justice causes as that is part of my DNA," the Timberwolves' All-Star center said in a news release.

Towns played a role in the passing of Bill HF28 – Minnesota's Restore the Vote bill, allowing formerly incarcerated individuals the right to vote alongside eligible voting Minnesotans. He also participated in community conversations and met with the Minnesota Freedom Fund, New Justice Project, Minnesota Justice Research Center and All-Square, key organizations who helped shepherd the bill through the legislature.

A $100,000 donation will be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities on Towns' behalf to advance health equity among youth and support the mental wellbeing of Black and Brown communities as part of Towns' 32 Wellness program. He was a finalist for the award in 2022 for his social justice work following the murder of George Floyd.

All 30 teams nominate one player from their roster to be the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion. The finalists and winner are selected by a committee composed of NBA legends, league executives and social justice leaders.