Kia Partners with NBA Players To Spread Christmas Cheer

Kia, SiriusXM and the National Basketball Players Association are surprising families from underserved communities with holiday presents and monetary gifts, all delivered in Kia K5 midsize sedans. The deliveries, which will be made virtually by NBPA members, coincided with the start of the 2020-2021 NBA Season with Kia NBA Tip-Off 2020 beginning Dec. 22.

Frankly, the Kia Telluride would have been more appropriate simply because it’s bigger. Coby White of the Chicago Bulls, Kia Sixth Man of the Year, would look much better getting out of a Telluride packed with presents.

But we digress. In addition to White, NBA players participating include Montrezl Harrell of the Los Angeles Lakers; Dennis Smith Jr. (pictured at top) of the New York Knicks; and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat. They will virtually deliver gifts and other necessities to families impacted by COVID-19.

OK, allow us to digress once more. How does one deliver gifts virtually via the 2021 Kia K5 midsize sedan? We need details!

Now back to the press release. Each player selected their recipient family based on a personal connection or familiarity with the family’s needs and struggles throughout the pandemic. This is the latest extension of Kia Motors’ “Accelerate The Good” charitable initiatives, which were instituted at the start of the pandemic back in March 2020.

“As athletes, we have an incredible platform that allows us to personally assist those who are really struggling, and this program with Kia gives us a chance to effect real change in the lives of some of our fans,” said Smith, the Knicks point guard. “The mom I nominated for 'Accelerate The Good' is Shaquana. As a single mother, she has gone through so much, from losing her daughter Shavon to gun violence to dealing with COVID-19, and I am grateful that my NBPA brothers and I can make her life and the lives of others just a little bit easier this holiday season.”

Through “Accelerate The Good,” Kia donated $2 million to charities that assist homeless youth nationwide and manufactured and delivered more than 550,000 pieces of personal protection equipment in the form of face shields, to hospitals and medical centers nationwide.

Have a good cause you would like to promote? Include it in the comments below. Maybe we can grab the attention of Kia (we know how) and the NBA Players Association for your cause.

Keith Griffin covers Hyundai and Kia at Torque News. He has been writing continuously about cars since 2002. Keith used to be a researcher/writer for US News & World Report, as well as numerous car sites, including Carfax and Car Gurus, and a contributor to The Boston Globe. Most recently, Keith was the managing editor for American Business Media. Follow Keith at @indepthauto on Twitter, on @LinkedIn and on his Indepth Auto Facebook page.