Suns' Cam Payne wins NBA Cares Community Assist award for December

Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne haswon the NBA Cares Community Assist award for the month of December,the NBA announced today.

The monthly award recognizes a playerwho best demonstrates the passion that the league and NBA playersshare for giving back to their communities.

"Payne has focused much of hiscommunity engagement around mentoring and often speaks about howmuch his mentors helped him growing up throughout his journey tothe NBA," the NBA's press release states. "In addition tomentoring, Payne is passionate about helping families during theholidays and giving back to his hometown of Memphis. During NBACares' Season of Giving, Payne adopted 15 families for Christmas aspart of his second annual ‘Cam Payne’s 15 families of Christmas’initiative where he provided gifts and fulfilled the wish lists of15 families from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. Payneinvited the families to have Christmas dinner followed bygift-giving at the Footprint Center. Payne concluded the evening byproviding a $250 gift card to Fry’s Food Stores for each family,and spent time taking photos and signing autographs.

"Also, during the holiday season,Payne participated in ‘Christmas Shopping with the Suns’, when 20kids from Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation andSolano’s No Limit Hoops took a shopping spree with Phoenix Sunsplayers at a local Target. In his hometown of Memphis, Paynedonated $10,000 to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital on Dec. 26. InNovember, Payne hosted a Thanksgiving celebration for 50 mentorsand mentees from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona toencourage youth mentorship and recruit more mentors of color.Mentors and mentees were invited to Footprint Center forThanksgiving dinner and dessert, served by Payne and his family,and an evening of fun games, including pop-a-shot, arcade games andNBA 2K on the arena’s videoboard."

Payne will be recognized during anon-court ceremony before the Suns’ home game against the DallasMavericks tonight. Also, the NBA will donate $10,000 to BigBrothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona.

“I have so much gratitude for thecommunities that have done so much for me and am trying my best todo whatever I can to give back. I’m thankful to the NBA for thisrecognition and to Phoenix Suns Charities for all the work theydo,” Payne said. “We’re not going to stop here; my hope is tocontinue to uplift these kids and to inspire the Valley to getinvolved themselves.”

Payne has an incredible story, as he wasout of the NBA not too long ago and even got cut by a team inChina. He thought his professional-basketball career might be over.However, he worked hard, signed with a G League team and playedgreat. This earned him a spot on the Suns, and he hasn't lookedback since.