NBA says $3 million going to HBCUs through All-Star Game

ATLANTA — The last shot of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game will be worth $300,000 for either the Thurgood Marshall College Fund or United Negro College Fund, the league said Wednesday in revealing how an estimated $3 million in charitable donations from the contest will be distributed.

Those two organizations that support historically Black colleges or universities will be the primary benefactors, each guaranteed $500,000 in scholarship funding before the game even starts and with an additional $750,000 at stake during the game.

The teams captained by LeBron James and Kevin Durant will each represent one of those groups, and the winning team in each of the first, second and third quarters will collect $150,000 for their respective organization. The first team to hit the target score and win the All-Star Game will get the final $300,000 in scholarship funds.

Black institutions will see at least another $1.25 million guaranteed from the skills competitions and All-Star Game, the NBA said. Each assist in the game will generate $1,900 in scholarship funds; last year’s game had 77 assists, which if matched this year would mean $146,300.