SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell is learning a hard lesson that fame and adulation doesn't last very long, at least in the Beehive State.
On Thursday, a popular mural featuring Mitchell was removed from the side of The Gateway mall in Salt Lake City, months after the superstar was traded to Cleveland.
The graffiti-style mural was painted by artists Jared Ander Smith and Chuck Landvatter and unveiled in March 2019. During its time in the spotlight, the mural was a popular photos spot for Jazz fans and visitors to Utah.
“We installed the mural in 2019 as a way to pay homage to this great area,” said Gateway marketing manager Jacklyn Briggs back in September. “We're actually right on the intersection of a Karl Malone and John Stockton way and we thought what a great kind of sync up with the new and the old and add the Donovan Mitchell bridge here.”
At the time of the September deal that sent Mitchell to Cleveland, officials were unsure what would happen to the mural. However, there was little doubt on Thursday.
While it took five days to paint, it was took much less time to remove the mural as workers sprayed chemicals on the painting and then simply washed it away. Let's hope the memories of Spida in the minds of Jazz fans don't fade as quick.
