Miami, FL
Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo wins NBA’s Social Justice Champion award for his work helping underserved communities
Bam Adebayo knows what it’s like to grow up with very little. He’s determined to help kids who are facing similar predicaments.
And the NBA has noticed his work.
The Miami Heat star — who had an 83-point game this season, the second highest-scoring game in NBA history — was honored Friday night with the league’s Social Justice Champion award. Adebayo will receive the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, and the NBA will make a $100,000 charitable donation on his behalf.
“It’s not something I look to do or want to do for attention,” Adebayo said Friday night in a video conference. “It’s something I do because I really want to help people. I’ve always said this: I never had anybody in my community that would come in and make impact. And my mom’s always been one of those people who’s always giving back, so I’m just carrying that torch.”
The award, the NBA said, “honors a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and … for advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically disadvantaged.”
Bam Adebayo’s foundation has raised thousands for underserved communities
The Bam Adebayo Foundation invested more than $563,000 across 18 initiatives this season, all promoting either educational equity, food security or youth development in underserved communities across South Florida and his native North Carolina.
Among the highlights of his work:
— He provided mattresses, uniforms and school supplies for students at The SEED School of Miami.
— Funded transportation for more than 19,000 students to attend the Miami Book Fair.
— Addressed food insecurity through holiday meal distributions.
— Hosted a holiday toy drive serving more than 2,000 children, and the leftover toys — which covered the playing court at the Heat’s home Kaseya Center — were then shared with other organizations.
— Supported youth development programs.
— Renovated a basketball court at Camillus House Homeless Shelter.
The other finalists for the award this season were San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes, Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Detroit’s Tobias Harris and Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr.
Adebayo is the sixth recipient, joining Jrue Holiday (2025), Karl-Anthony Towns (2024), Stephen Curry (2023), Reggie Bullock (2022) and Carmelo Anthony (2021).
“I’m the first one in Heat history to get it,” said Adebayo, Miami’s captain. “It feels good to be the first at something in franchise history — but it just shows the work that I put into the community.”
The award was decided by a committee that includes Abdul-Jabbar, Tatum, Realize The Dream co-founders Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, GirlTREK Co-Founder and President Vanessa Garrison, National Museum of African American History & Culture Acting Director Shanita Brackett, Civic Nation CEO Kyle Lierman, NBA President of Social Responsibility & Player Programs Kathy Behrens, National Basketball Players Association Foundation Executive Director Erika Swilley and youth representative Cayden Daughtry from the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Court of Leaders.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Miami, FL
FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee lends a helping hand to people of Venezuela after deadly earthquakes
The FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee is lending a helping hand for the people of Venezuela in the wake of deadly back-to-back earthquakes at the end of June.
The committee joined CBS News Miami, Neighbors 4 Neighbors and the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) for the Hope 4 Venezuela relief campaign.
“I think we’ve exceeded more than $26,000 in individual donations up to this point,” FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto told CBS News Miami.
The FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee said it shares deep cultural and personal ties with Venezuela, with thousands of local families having roots, loved ones and communities directly impacted by the disaster.
“When we learned about the devastation in Venezuela, we knew we had to use this platform to help,’ said President and CEO of the FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee Alina T. Hudak.
The FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee said it sees the FIFA Fan Fest at Miami’s Bayfront Park as not only a celebration of the sport, but also an opportunity to serve the community.
“We have hundreds of thousands of people engaging with the Fan Festival, both in person and online,” Hudak continued. “If we can use that visibility to bring attention to an urgent humanitarian need, we have a responsibility to do that. This is about showing up for our neighbors when they need us most.”
The FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee said that as Miami continues to celebrate the World Cup, it’s continuing to demonstrate the power of community – standing together, supporting one another and leading with heart.
Miami, FL
Miami’s FIFA Fan Fest draws thousands to Bayfront Park to watch Team USA win World Cup match against Bosnia
Thousands of fans packed Bayfront Park in Miami for Fan Fest to watch Team USA advance in the World Cup, cheering through rain and celebrating the win together.
Despite a soggy start, the crowd stayed loud and energetic throughout the night.
“It’s been so fun! I mean I did have a little bit of a heart attack when we got red flagged but as long as we’re winning, it’s all good, it’s all good!” said Tania Rosales, a fan at the event.
Joe Martorana said the rain didn’t dampen the mood. “Oh it’s awesome man! I mean too bad it had to rain but everything looks great we’re having a great time,” he said.
Fans from around the world attended the event, with many saying this World Cup has felt different.
“It’s really blossomed in this country and especially South Florida, it’s amazing to see and it’s always fun to watch,” said Elisia Martorana.
Rosales said the sense of community stood out to her. “It’s so nice seeing everyone together treating each other with kindness, no matter what team wins whatever team loses, we’re still there to cheer each other on,” she said.
Fan Fest at Bayfront Park is free and open to the public through July 5.
A former attorney-turned-investor who spent nearly three years in prison for defrauding the government is selling two luxury penthouses in Miami and New York for a combined $138 million.
William Duker is seeking $78 million for his three-story unit in Miami’s Apogee complex at 800 South Pointe Drive, the New York Post reported. The price amounts to $8,667 per square foot of indoor space. The home, which spans floors 22 through 24, includes about 9,000 square feet of indoor living space and 10,600 square feet of wraparound terraces, according to a news release. It has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, three half-baths and a private rooftop pool.
Dora Puig of Luxe Living Realty and Carlo Gambino of Douglas Elliman Florida have the listing.
Duker bought the unit as a concrete shell for $16 million, or $1,778 per square foot of indoor space, in 2008 and spent five years building it out. He first listed the penthouse for $65 million a decade ago.
The investor is also selling his penthouse in New York City’s Tribeca for $59.5 million. The 7,500-square-foot unit in the Sky Lofts at 145 Hudson Street has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms with a 4,500-square-foot wraparound terrace, the outlet said. Duker bought the penthouse for $30.5 million in 2009 from developer Stanley Scott.
Jim St. Andre and Trevor Stephens of Compass, and Adam Modlin and Andrew Nierenberg of the Modlin Group co-hold the listing.
“I’m 72, and I’m just beginning to organize this next phase of my life,” Duker told the New York Post’s Gimme Shelter. “The last thing I need now are two apartments of this size.”
Duker’s penthouse portfolio is a far cry from the prison cells he spent 33 months in after pleading guilty in 1997 to four felony counts. While working for FDIC and Resolution Trust Corporation, Duker overcharged the government $1.4 million and was charged with making false statements and claims, mail fraud and obstructing a federal audit. In addition to his prison sentence, Duker was disbarred and fined $7,500. He paid $2.58 million covering criminal restitution and civil damages, The Real Deal previously reported.
The judge in the case was Sonia Sotomayor, who is now a Supreme Court Justice. She said at the time that the case was difficult to reconcile because Duker helped the government recover millions of dollars even as he defrauded it, the Post reported.
As a lawyer, Duker helped recover money stolen during the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s and ’90s, which cost taxpayers $125 billion.
After his stint behind bars, Duker co-founded the electronic discovery company Amici, which Xerox acquired for $174 million in 2006.
He owns properties in Upstate New York, Manhattan, Miami, Palm Beach and Italy. He also has a 270-foot superyacht, Sybaris.
—Grace McClung
Watch out, Ken Griffin: William Duker wants $65M for Apogee penthouse
$30M penthouse buyer tied to FDIC scam
Residential
South Florida
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