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Mavs' Barea awarded for his Puerto Rico efforts

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. Barea went above and beyond to support his native Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria left the majority of its citizens with essentially nothing.

For his valiant efforts, the Dallas Mavericks point guard has been given the October NBA Cares Community Assist Award, as confirmed by the league.

"Puerto Rico is such a small island and I think help is going to be needed there for at least the next year, maybe longer," said Barea. "This effort is something I will carry with me forever, and anything I can do to help people put things back in order is a must for me."

Barea was able to aid the territory with over 100,000 pounds of supplies, with the help and support of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the use of the team plane. He alleviated Puerto Ricans with generators, water, food, medical supplies, and clothing.

The 33-year-old personally contributed over $500,000, along with $250,000 using an online fundraiser that he launched. Barea also worked with the Mavericks to agree on donating 100 percent of the single-game ticket sales for their Oct. 25 matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, which added an additional $114,000 for his efforts.

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