CALIFORNIA
UTAH
Donovan
Dominates
A New Champion Rises
J
azz rookie Donovan Mitchell won the 2018 Verizon Slam
Dunk Contest at the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend in
Los Angeles, becoming the second Jazzman to win the
competition, joining Jeremy Evans who captured the crown
in 2012. Via his uniform selection, Mitchell paid tribute
to the Jazz City Edition uniforms, Jazz alumnus Darrell
Griffi th known as Dr. Dunkenstein, and NBA
All-Star Vince Carter.
In the two-round event, the participants performed a
maximum of three attempts to complete each dunk in both
the fi rst round and the fi nal round. Five judges scored every
dunk on a scale of six to 10, resulting in a high score of 50
and a low score of 30. Mitchell scored a 48 on his fi rst dunk,
50 on his second, 50 on his third, and beat out Cleveland’s
Larry Nance Jr. with a 48 on his fourth and last slam in the
fi nal round.
When the trophy arrived in Salt Lake City, Larry
H. Miller Sports & Entertainment employees had the
opportunity to take photos with the hardware in the offi ces.
Th e Jazz also invited Griffi th, a two-time NBA Slam Dunk
Contest participant whose #35 jersey is retired, to come
from Louisville for an on-court presentation. Finally, fans
had the chance to take photos with the trophy at Vivint
Smart Home Arena prior to a Jazz game. ◆
UTAH
Continuing the Tradition
NAACP Scholarship Awarded
I
n a tradition set in motion by Larry H. Miller more than 20
years ago, a youth scholarship was awarded at the annual Martin
Luther King Jr. Day memorial luncheon in Salt Lake City.
Kamaria Smith received a $3,000 scholarship and an
engraved silver bowl from LHM Group of Companies owner
Gail Miller, Utah Jazz broadcaster and 12-year NBA veteran
Th url Bailey, and the president of the NAACP Salt Lake Branch
Jeanetta Williams.
Smith, a senior from Salt Lake Center for Science Education,
plans to attend Salt Lake Community College and major in
culinary arts. Funding for the college scholarship was provided
by Larry H. Miller Charities. ◆
12
LHM Winning Spirit Mar/Apr 2018