NAACP honors Stephen Curry, WNBA players with Jackie Robinson award

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and the WNBA Players Association are both receiving the NAACP’s Jackie Robinson Sports Award this year, marking the first time ever that the organization has presented the award to multiple recipients, The Associated Press reports.

According to the news outlet, the organization is scheduled to present the awards to both recipients at the Image Awards Virtual Experience next week. 

The NAACP said the award is presented to individuals in recognition of “their high achievement in athletics in addition to their contributions in the pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.”

Past recipients include athletes like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Curry, who has two NBA most valuable player awards under his belt, has garnered praise in the past year for using his platform to bring awareness to social justice causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement, among other issues.

WNBA players also drew attention last year for efforts seeking to honor the movement and advocating for justice for Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans killed by police. 

In a statement to the AP on Thursday, Warriors general manager Bob Myers said he “would borrow a Maya Angelou quote to describe Steph and his leadership: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’”

“Steph has certainly made people in the Bay Area and all over the world feel joy. His commitment to social activism and support of women are another part of the fabric that makes up the person that he is. I’m honored to know him for what he does both on and off the court,” Myers said. “And a much deserved congratulations to the women of the WNBA who continue to fearlessly pursue what is right.” 

“He has a strong platform and he utilizes it to the best of his ability. He’s a great individual,” Warriors player Kelly Oubre Jr. also told the outlet, referring to Curry. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr also lauded WNBA players in a statement to the news agency. 

“I love what the WNBA players have done. They’ve really taken the lead with creativity and unity in a lot of important causes, political causes but social injustice issues,” Kerr told the AP. “They’ve made their voices heard. They’ve done it very creatively and powerfully.”