(Business Wire)  On Saturday, March 21, eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul joined Kaiser Permanente in welcoming two Special Olympics basketball teams to a private basketball clinic at the Crenshaw Family YMCA in Los Angeles. The athletes – members of the Special Olympics Southern California Lakewood teams – had an opportunity to run drills, scrimmage, and learn from one of the best players in the NBA. Afterwards, Paul conducted a question and answer session with the athletes and provided each athlete with a signed basketball as a remembrance of the day and the up close and personal time they spent with an outstanding athlete and role model.

“Being an athlete takes hard work, dedication, and the passion to push yourself beyond your comfort zone,” said Chris Paul, NBA All-Star and Kaiser Permanente Total Health Ambassador. “These Special Olympics athletes push through barriers every day to accomplish their goals. Their positive spirit and determination are inspiring and why I am so honored to be working side-by-side with them. When you get down to it – we each have lessons to learn from one another.”

Paul also reinforced the importance of staying healthy and living an active lifestyle while building excitement for the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015.

Kaiser Permanente is privileged to serve as Founding Champion and Official Health Partner for the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015. Hundreds of physicians and staff will be providing care to the 7,000 athletes participating in the World Games. The Games will be the biggest international sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world this year and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.

"Our physician and staff volunteers are enthusiastically preparing to welcome and provide medical care for these inspiring athletes. I’m very proud of the response from our doctors, nurses, and employees who have stepped forward to volunteer with the intent of making this one of the most successful and memorable Special Olympics ever," said Edward M. Ellison, MD, executive medical director for Southern California Permanente Medical Group, and member of the Special Olympics LA 2015 board of directors. “We are excited and looking forward to meeting the athletes and sharing wonderful and profound memories of these games, not only with them, but with the entire Special Olympics family.”

“Kaiser Permanente has been a fantastic partner in helping build awareness for our event and mission. They stepped up and provided us with a World Games-themed Rose Parade float and now, because of their relationship with Chris Paul, they are able to give our athletes this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” stated Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO of LA2015. “Our two organizations are aligned in many of our core values from embracing diversity and inclusion to strengthening the health of our communities. We are proud to have them as our official ‘Health Partner’ for the World Games.”

In addition to their support of the Special Olympics World Games, Kaiser Permanente and the National Basketball Association earlier this year announced a strategic partnership that focuses on building healthier communities. The collaboration is an extension of both organizations’ shared commitment to improving the health and wellness of fans and the communities in which they live. This marks a new and unique partnership for both organizations; as part of the relationship, Kaiser Permanente serves as health care expert and consultant for the NBA.

Discover more about the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 at LA2015.org and Kaiser Permanente’s involvement with the Games at kp.org/specialolympics.

About Special Olympics World Games

With 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games — being staged in Los Angeles July 25 – August 2, 2015 — will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. The 2015 Special Olympics World Games, with the unparalleled spirit, enthusiasm, teamwork, joy and displays of courage and skill that are hallmarks of all Special Olympics events, will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout the Los Angeles region. The Opening Ceremony, to be held July 25, 2015 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, is expected to attract 80,000 spectators. For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.LA2015.org and on social with #ReachUpLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Kaiser Permanente Southern California

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 3.8 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information follow us on twitter; @KPSCALNews or go to: www.kp.org/share.