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SALT LAKE CITY — It was an unusual offseason for the NBA — Donovan Mitchell, though, made the most of it.
Mitchell was awarded the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work to advance social justice and his efforts in opening up education to more children, it was announced Friday.
The award was presented to Mitchell on Monday during a special virtual ceremony with league, Kaiser Permanente (the award's sponsor) and Jazz owner Ryan Smith, as well as members of The Children's Village. Mitchell will also be recognized during Friday's home game against the Mavericks (8 p.m., ESPN).
"I'm honored to receive the NBA Community Assist Award," Mitchell said in a statement. "We, as athletes, have a responsibility to do our part to give back to our communities and raise the bar for the next generation."
In December, after signing a contract extension that could be worth $195 million, Mitchell donated $12 million to Greenwich Country Day school. The school is Mitchell's alma mater and where his mother, Nicole, taught for more than a decade.
The contribution was the largest single donation in the school's history. He created the Mitchell Family Scholarship Fund to aid students from pre-K to 12th grade, the Nicole Mitchell Faculty Support Fund to assist teachers, and had built a new athletic facility.
This last summer, Mitchell also donated the proceeds of his Adidas D.O.N. Issue No. 2 sneakers to aid the education of the children of Jacob Blake, students of color at the University of Louisville and teachers at preschools in Connecticut and the Bronx. The proceeds ended up funding more than $300,000 in scholarships and academic assistance.
"I always wonder, if we want to get to the ultimate goal of equality — whether it's through education or (overcoming) systemic racism or voter suppression, whatever it is — the best thing we can do is inform," Mitchell told now-Vice President Kamala Harris during a roundtable with her and other NBA players in October. "There's no way a kid in the Bronx shouldn't receive the same education because of where he goes to school as a kid in Connecticut."
Mitchell has become one of the league's voices in the fight for social justice. He was named to the inaugural board of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, which is using the league's visibility to raise awareness, educate and advocate for meaningful reform.
All of Mitchell's efforts — he's also been a very visible part of the Salt Lake community since being drafted by the Jazz in 2017 — haven't gone unnoticed by Utah's lawmakers. This week, the Utah House of Representatives passed a light-hearted resolution honoring Mitchell.
"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," Mitchell said. "My goal is to continue to inspire and encourage youth, from coast to coast with an emphasis on the importance of education."
The NBA Cares Community Assist Award recognizes players "who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities." Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will make $10,000 donation in Mitchell's name to The Children's Village, a non-profit school for troubled children in New York.
