Suns' Chris Paul wins inaugural Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA award / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Credit Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Phoenix Suns 12-time All-Star guard Chris Paul on Sunday was named the inaugural winner of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award for his "significant contributions to the advancement of girls and women's basketball" and his advocacy for the WNBA.

Chris Paul

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The WNBA and Vanessa Bryant presented the award to Paul during the NBA All-Star game in Cleveland on Sunday night.

The award honors the late Kobe Bryant -- a Los Angeles Lakers legend and a supporter of the WNBA and women's basketball -- and his daughter Gianna (also known as Gigi), who dreamed of playing in the WNBA.

Kobe, Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2020. Vanessa Bryant is Kobe's widow and Gianna's mother.

"I have seen first-hand Chris' appreciation of the WNBA and the game at every level for women and girls, ... and his ardent support of our game strongly reflects the legacy of Kobe and Gigi," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release.

"The league is proud to name Chris as the inaugural recipient of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, as he serves as a leader and role model for other professional athletes around growing the future of the game for young girls and all fans."

In the release, Paul was called "a devoted fan" of the WNBA and the Phoenix Mercury who has "consistently demonstrated a unique level of support, attending games throughout the regular season and playoffs while also using his public platforms to highlight the on-court successes and stories of WNBA players as well as their leadership in the community through their fight for social justice."

Paul was a reserve for Team LeBron in Sunday's All-Star game. Paul is averaging 14.9 points, 10.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a game for the Suns, who are atop the NBA with a 48-10 record.

The WNBA will make a donation to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive impact for underserved athletes and boys & girls in sports founded through the vision and loving memory of Kobe and Gigi Bryant.

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