- Hall of Fame Recognizes Leaders in Basketball for Humanitarian Efforts -
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the winner of the 2023 Mannie Jackson - Basketball’s Human Spirit Award. Honored for its outstanding humanitarian efforts, the 2023 award recipient is PeacePlayers.
PeacePlayers was founded in 2000 by Sean Tuohey with the mission of using the power of sports to unite, educate, and inspire the next generation to create a more peaceful world. The organization first launched in South Africa in 2001 and now works in Northern Ireland (2002), the Middle East (2005), and the United States (2017). The organization worked in Cyprus for over 15 years and has supported numerous other organizations around the globe.
PeacePlayers engages youth in conflict-ridden areas and provides sustainable sports programming that is grounded in peace education and the development of conflict resolution and leadership skills. The programs are designed to break down barriers that exist between two conflicting groups, bridging the divide that exists and unleashing the power of those in the community to act as catalysts for change within their families, schools, and neighborhoods.
The organization has won many humanitarian awards, such as the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS (2007), Laureus Sport for Good Award (2008), NGO for Peace of the Year Award (2011), Oklahoma City Memorial Hopes Award (2016) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award (2017).
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to recognize PeacePlayers as the 2023 Mannie Jackson Award recipient,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “While we are most well-known for the work we do to honor those who excelled on the hardwood, it is important to commemorate and celebrate individuals who have used their position to have a positive impact on their communities and those around them. The PeacePlayers organization was selected as this year’s Mannie Jackson recipient because of their important work of promoting peace and leadership among youth around the world.”
PeacePlayers will be formally recognized in August during Enshrinement Weekend festivities on Friday, August 11th, at the Tip Off Celebration and Awards Gala at Mohegan Sun.
Established in 2007, the Mannie Jackson - Basketball’s Human Spirit Award honors individuals who have found the game of basketball to be a contributing aspect of their personal growth and accomplishment, a place to develop an understanding of others, and an avenue that has helped shape their growth into recognized visionary leaders. Winners must reflect the values of Mannie Jackson’s life-long mission to overcome obstacles and challenge the status quo while taking responsibility for their actions and seeking the highest standard of excellence.
The Mannie Jackson – Basketball’s Human Spirit Award Winners 2007-2022
2022: The McLendon Foundation
2021: Ray Allen, Vinny Del Negro, Renee Montgomery
2020: Wayne Embry, George Raveling, Bill Russell
2019: Carmelo Anthony, TyRone Brown, Dawn Staley
2018: J.J. Barea, Tina Charles, Boris Diaw
2017: Bob Hurley, Nancy Lieberman, Dwyane Wade
2016: Chris Paul, Jalen Rose, Tubby Smith
2015: Paul Fireman, Bill Self, Steve Smith
2014: Bob Delaney, Robert L. Johnson
2013: Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Pat Summitt, Boo Williams
2012: Jim Calhoun, Grant Hill, Dr. Richard Lapchick
2011: Chauncey Billups, Dr. John “Jumpin’ Johnny” Kline, The V Foundation
2010: Jim Boeheim, Samuel Dalembert, Alfreda Harris
2009: Ken Hudson, Bob Lanier, Alonzo Mourning
2008: Sonny Hill, David Robinson
2007: Dikembe Mutombo
About Mannie Jackson
Mannie Jackson, in addition to his business successes, is a Past-Chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and a recipient of the NCAA’s coveted Theodore Roosevelt Award in 2015. A former Illinois Big Ten All-Star and a team captain for the Harlem Globetrotters, Jackson retired as a senior executive and corporate officer for Honeywell Inc. and in the early 1990’s he purchased the Legendary Globetrotters from bankruptcy. In 2002, the resurrected Harlem Globetrotters were elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jackson was the first of three Black owners of a major sports and entertainment organization and his family’s charitable contributions have totaled over $15 million.
In 2012, Jackson penned his bestselling autobiography, “Boxcar to Boardrooms” and continues to donate generously to numerous causes including the University of Illinois, South African youth funds, cancer research and the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also active in promoting the mission of the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities located in his hometown Edwardsville, Illinois, while serving as the Center’s lead investor. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #MannieJacksonAward or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.