Mitchell Sees Himself In Young Players At Wasatch Academy Game
Dec 2, 2021, 2:24 PM | Updated: 2:27 pm
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell wearing a New York Mets hat (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz had a rare three days away from the floor this week, giving players a chance to finally take a step back from the game. But while some players took the downtime to step away from basketball, Donovan Mitchell used the opportunity to take in more basketball as he spent Tuesday night watching Wasatch Academy host Timpview.
Mitchell announced he was going to go show his support for Wasatch Academy after the basketball team made time in their busy schedule to take in a Jazz game earlier this season.
The All-Star guard certainly won over the community by appearing at the game, but he insists that’s not why he does it.
“I see so much myself when I go to these high school games,” Mitchell said of being able to watch games that otherwise might not garner national attention.
Donovan Mitchell said he's going to the Wasatch Academy game tomorrow to return the love they showed by going to the Jazz game.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 30, 2021
“I went to school up in New Hampshire, so nobody was going to go watch me play basketball.”
But Mitchell’s self-recognition isn’t limited to his time in high school when he wished he could have shown off his highlight-reel dunks to existing pros, as his basketball fandom has never gone away.
Now playing alongside longtime NBA veterans like Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, the Jazz guard still finds himself geeking out when talking to the players he grew up idolizing.
“I truly cherish moments like these when I first got here playing with a guy like Mike Conley, Rudy, Joe Johnson, Derrick Favors — guys that I grew up watching who are now my teammates,” Mitchell said.
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That kindness that Mitchell has received from his veteran teammates is something he hopes that he can share with the NBA players of tomorrow.
“I don’t think those guys understand how much they inspire me,” Mitchell said. “And I truly don’t understand how I have inspired kids, but I try to make an impact as much as I can in that right.”
Tuesday night won’t be the last time Mitchell makes time in his busy schedule to take in local high school basketball. The guard said he wants to share his support at a high school girls’ basketball game next.
