NBA, Bacardi announce scholarship program

The NBA and Bacardi U.S.A. Inc. are starting a scholarship program that will provide more than $350,000 in aid to students from Hispanic and African-American communities.

NBA Commissioner David Stern and Bacardi president and CEO John Esposito announced the launch of the ''Gold Standard Scholarship Program'' on Wednesday during an event at the NBA Store.

The program, conducted in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, will award $10,000 to 24 minority students. Four national scholarship recipients will be eligible for an additional $30,000 each.

Applications for the program, open to eligible candidates through January 2011, can be found at NBA.com/GoldStandard.