Donovan Mitchell Wins NBA Community Assist Award

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Donovan Mitchell has been named the NBA Cares Community Assist Award winner for the 2020 offseason.

The Utah Jazz guard earned the honor due to his charitable work throughout the year, most notably donating $12 million to the Greenwich Country Day School in Connecticut where he attended from third to ninth grade.

The donation included the  “Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund” which will help make the school more accessible to families in need, and the “Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund” which will provide teachers with better funding in the classroom.

.@utahjazz star Donovan Mitchell, along with his mother Nicole and sister Jordan, have pledged $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School.

Mitchell attended the school from 3rd to 9th grade and his mother taught there for 12 years.@kslsports #TakeNotehttps://t.co/onUMips6rW

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) December 4, 2020

“I’m honored,” Mitchell said in a release from the team. “We, as athletes, have a responsibility to do our part to give back to our communities and raise the bar for the next generation. 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 has also teamed with his shoe sponsor Adidas to help raise money for education, and for families in need across the country.

The NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities.

Congratulations to our own @spidadmitchell on winning the offseason @NBACares community assist award presented by Kaiser Permanente 🖤https://t.co/D4zLWDT06d pic.twitter.com/qiB6wHmWXb

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2021

Past yearly winners include Harrison Barnes, Jaylen Brown, George Hill, Chris Paul, and Dwight Powell.

Former Jazz guard Deron Williams earned the award in 2010 for the month of November while Ricky Rubio was given the award in November of 2017 as a member of the Jazz.

The guard received the award via a virtual presentation earlier this week and will also be honored during Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.