Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — On Sunday, Donovan Mitchell drove by two cars that had just been in an accident.
Actually, he didn’t drive by. That’s part of what makes him different.
He saw airbags deployed and worried faces, so instead of just moving on and forgetting, he pulled over to check on the scene.
It was just the natural thing do — at least for him. He just wanted to make sure everyone was OK.
Take away the 40-point games, the thrill-inducing dunks, the cold-blooded threes and Mitchell would still be someone easy to cheer for. The genuine care he demonstrated this past weekend wasn’t an isolated incident — not by a long shot.
On Wednesday, Mitchell was named one of the ten finalists for the NBA Cares Community Assists Award, which recognizes a player’s commitment to impacting his community over the course of the season.
The other nine finalists are Jarrett Allen, Bradley Beal, Mike Conley, Tobias Harris, LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Dwight Powell and Pascal Siakam.
So what has Mitchell done?
He's paid for a fan’s iPhone repair bill, gives away a pair of shoes before each game, and has offered his time to those in need.
He's gifted the daughter of former school teacher $25,000 to go to school, launched his own foundation, SPIDACARES, and he surprised 300 Kearns High students with backpacks and supplies.
Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz is nominated for the 2018-19 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by @kpthrive! To vote for Donovan, retweet this, or post on Twitter with #NBACommunityAssist + #DonovanMitchell! pic.twitter.com/ns2em1GR5t
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2019
He has shown up to backyard barbecues, he’s attended high school basketball games and he’s shown up to just about every university sporting event.
And who knows what else.
Because, like offering to pay for a repaired iPhone or stopping by an accident just to make sure everyone was fine, he doesn’t do it for cameras. These aren’t PR stunts. It’s just who he is.
Fans can vote for Mitchell by tweeting #NBACommunityAssIst and #DonovanMitchell or @spidadmitchell. Voting began on Wednesday and concludes on Sunday, May 5 at 9:59 p.m. MDT.
