SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has received the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award to recognize his efforts in advancing social justice and championing education between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
"In December, the Mitchell family pledged $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, Donovan and his sister Jordan’s alma mater and the school where their mother, Nicole, taught for more than a decade. The contribution was the largest single donation in the school’s history and will be used to create the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund to aid students from pre-K-12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund to assist teachers who demonstrate the same passion for teaching as Nicole, as well as the new D.O.N.! The Determination Over Negativity Mitchell Family Athletic Center," a news release from NBA Cares and Kaiser Permanente says.
Mitchell spoke out against racial injustice during the 2019-20 NBA season restart last summer and he continued the conversation during the offseason with then vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, Portland’s CJ McCollum and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris in a discussion on educational, economic and social inequities, according to the news release.
In November, the NBA selected Mitchell to serve on its National Basketball Social Justice Coalition.
"I’m honored to receive the NBA Community Assist Award. We, as athletes, have a responsibility to do our part to give back to our communities and raise the bar for the next generation,” said Mitchell in the news release. “Not too long ago I was one of those kids that looked up to professional athletes, and I recognize how blessed I am to be in this position to give back to the multiple communities that have contributed to my growth not only as an athlete but as a person. My goal is to continue to inspire and encourage youth, from coast to coast with an emphasis on the importance of education.”
Mitchell was given the award during a virtual ceremony with league, Kaiser Permanente and Jazz officials, including the team’s new Governor Ryan Smith, as well as members of The Children’s Village on Monday. He'll also be recognized during Friday night's home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Visit http://www.nba.com/communityassist/ for further details on the award.
