The Australian Basketball Players Association (ABPA) will partner with the NBL players, National Basketball League and the nine NBL clubs to raise funds for communities affected by the bushfires.

They will donate $300 for every three pointer scored across all six games of Round 15 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL.  All funds raised will go towards the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery.

NBL Owner and Executive Chairman Larry Kestelman said: “We have all been touched by the events of the past few months and as a leading sporting code we have a responsibility to do what we can help those many people affected by the bushfire crisis.

“I want to thank all of our clubs and players who have already made very generous contributions and we hope this initiative will further assist in raising much needed funds for those communities.

“We urge all our fans and everyone else associated with basketball across Australia and New Zealand to support the appeal by donating at www.redcross.org.au/basketball.”

The Chief Executive of the ABPA Jacob Holmes said: “Our players are very connected with their local communities and have been shocked and saddened by the many stories of devastation that continue to emerge from the bushfire crisis.

“While many of our players have already made their own contributions to the cause, they also wanted to come together to take action as a group, to show those affected how much they care and how incredibly important this issue is to them.

“The players are continuing to discuss plans for other support initiatives and encourage the basketball community to join us in supporting the Red Cross and other charities who will take on a heavy burden in the months ahead.”

Head of Engagement and Support at Australian Red Cross Belinda Dimovski said: “We’d like to thank the NBL and all of their players and supporters for leading this incredible initiative and showing such generosity to our emergency teams and the people we help.

“The size and scale of these fires in many parts of Australia is unprecedented. But so is the incredible wave of support we’ve seen from people and business around the country and overseas.

“The fund we raise will ensure our trained staff and volunteers can continue to be there for the long haul, helping people take a deep breath, take stock of their losses and slowly but surely get back on their feet. We’ll also be giving out emergency grants to help people cover the essential costs as they start to rebuild.”

Round 15 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL will begin this Thursday when the Cairns Taipans play the SKY Sport New Breakers at the Cairns Convention Centre. The game will tip off at 7.30pm AEDT and be broadcast live on ESPN and SBS on Demand.

Donate: www.redcross.org.au/basketball

Social: #300for3