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4 minutes, 41 seconds
USA Basketball and RX3 are investing in future leaders through an exciting new charity event. The inaugural USA Basketball Foundation × RX3 Charity 3x3 Tournament brought together NBA and WNBA stars like Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh, Chet Holmgren, Elena Delle Donne, and Dawn Staley for a day of basketball. Every dollar raised goes to charity, and none of the players took a fee. This event is a powerful example of how sports can build leadership and support communities at the same time.
The tournament is an extension of RX3 Growth Partners’ successful model. For five years, RX3 has hosted a celebrity flag football tournament, raising over $13 million for charity. This year alone, the event raised a record $4.2 million. Now, RX3 is bringing that same energy to basketball.
“The impact the charities have is the reason NBA stars like Kevin Durant wanted to be a part of this inaugural event,” said an organizer.
Durant chose to support the Durant Family Foundation, which his mother Wanda leads. He started the foundation in 2013 to help young people in their community. Durant shared his vision: “A lot of the things we do, we speak about leaving the neighborhood and seeing what's out there for you. So taking college visits, we do a lot of stuff for the kids. The community has been responding well. So we're excited about the future.”
For many athletes, this is deeply personal. Olympic gold medalist Elena Delle Donne explained how her sister inspires her work.
“My older sister's definitely been my why. She's got several special needs. For some reason, because I was able to put a ball in a hoop, people listen to me and I knew I wanted to do something with that platform. So I always give back to the Special Olympics and the special needs community.”
Nate Raabe, co-founder and managing partner of RX3 Growth Partners, says authenticity is key. “Whenever you're building any kind of relationship, the authenticity comes into play and you have to have that authentic relationship, not only when you're working with brands and companies, but I'd say especially with athletes. We found the reason we're able to get the talent that we get is because we're truly out here trying to do this for a good cause, raise a lot of money and a lot of awareness for a lot of different charities.”
The event gets creative with fundraising. Tricia Gasparini, executive director of the RX3 Foundation, explained the design: “Having experiences that people can’t buy is really unique. If you can find ways to incentivize groups of individuals to rally together in order to raise funds, you can do a lot more good.”
Crowd fundraising thresholds unlock special moments during the tournament. Each athlete directs the money to a charity they choose. This means one day of fun benefits many causes and communities across the country.
Legendary coach Dawn Staley knows that basketball skills fade, but character doesn’t. She puts it simply:
“Who you are as a basketball player shouldn't be the leading thing in your life. We all know that at some point, they (basketball skills) start going downhill, and then you're left with who you are as a person.”
That message is central to the partnership. Jennifer Lynne Williams, Chief Development Officer at USA Basketball, explains:
“Our foundation has 3 pillars. We focus on youth development, championing women, and social responsibility. So I try to look for foundations and corporations that align with our mission and vision. We want to grow the game, and we want everybody to have access to basketball, regardless of their socioeconomic status.”
The connection between sports and leadership is real. A 2015 study by EY and espnW found that 94% of senior women executives had played sports. More than half said their athletic experience helped them in the workplace. The Women’s Sports Foundation’s Play to Lead report found that 73% of leaders named teamwork as their biggest takeaway from sports, and many said they learned how to handle pressure.
As a sports and performance psychiatrist, I’ve seen how leading on the court translates to leading in the boardroom. The skills are the same: managing pressure, motivating a team, and preparing for big moments.
NBA champion Chet Holmgren shared a valuable mindset:
“Those expectations lead to pressure, but if you look at pressure as a bad thing, that's when it'll stress you out. But if you kind of look at it as an opportunity...if there's pressure on you, that means you have an opportunity.”
Teaching young people this reframe is one of the best gifts we can give them. It helps them in sports, school, and any career they choose.
When athletes and financial institutions come together, they can invest in the next generation of leaders. The USA Basketball Foundation and RX3 Foundation are creating career skills and opportunities for young people, and the impact is truly unlimited.
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