The young girl clutched the sneaker and shook with excitement.
“I’m so happy,” said the 11-year-old named Brighton.
The shoe belonged to Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz’s sophomore guard. As has become his tradition, he had taken it off after his pregame warmup, autographed it, and gifted it to a fan in the stands. In just his second NBA season, Mitchell has built his fanbase on 40-point performances and highlight-reel slam dunks.
But asked why Mitchell was her favorite player, the young girl had a different reason.
“He’s always giving back,” she said.
That’s why Mitchell has been named one of the finalists for the 2018-19 NBA Cares Community Assist Award.