NewsLocal News

Actions

Jazz star Donovan Mitchell finalist for NBA award; fan votes will decide recipient

Donovan Mitchell.jpg
Posted at 12:22 PM, Jun 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-08 22:51:16-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is a finalist for the NBA Cares Community Assist Award, one of 10 players nominated for their commitment to community service over the 2020-21 season, and fan votes will decide if he's the recipient.

Jazz fans can votes for Mitchell through June 19 via Jebbit, as well as on Twitter using #NBACommunityAssist and @spidadmitchell or #DonovanMitchell. Votes cast via Jebbit then reposted on Twitter will count as two separate votes, and retweets will also be counted.

READ: Quin Snyder finishes 3rd in NBA Coach of the Year voting

This isn't the first time Mitchell has been honored for his work promoting social justice and education; he was also given the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Mitchell's focus is educational access and support for all young people, but particularly those of color. In December, the Mitchell family pledged $12 million to Greenwich Country Day School, where Donovan and his sister attended and his mother, Nicole, taught for more than a decade.

In 2020, Mitchell donated the proceeds of his Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 sneakers to support the education of students of color at the University of Louisville and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx, totaling more than $300,000 in scholarships and academic assistance.

Mitchell was named to the inaugural board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition to raise awareness for meaningful reform and gives back to those most in need through his SPIDACARES organization.

He is also part of the Jazz team effort where every victory results in a college scholarship to underrepresented students of color, covering the full cost of attendance at one of six universities in Utah.

READ: Jordan Clarkson wins NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award

The 10 nominees include the off-season winner (Mitchell), six monthly winners and three additional players selected by the NBA for their exceptional community work. 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.

The other 2020-21 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award nominees are DeAndre’ Bembry (Toronto), Devin Booker (Phoenix), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee), Damian Lillard (Portland), Patty Mills (San Antonio), Larry Nance Jr. (Cleveland), Josh Richardson (Dallas) and Russell Westbrook (Washington).

Selected by fans and an NBA executive panel, the winner will be announced during the postseason.

Instructions on how to vote and more information about the award can be found here.