



A combination of talent, work ethic and maturity is needed in order to make an instant impact as a rookie in the NBA. With players exposed to so much more external distractions like social media, viral videos and public knowledge of their lives, teams have a tough task of finding the perfect mix of talent and maturity at the ages of 18 and 19. Of course, it makes a lot of sense to bring in potential talent as early as you can, to help mold and create the player you need. But, from the player’s side one can only imagine the stresses and challenges you face with being that target throughout your life. Some can thrive in those potentially hostile atmospheres, but having the talent and ability translate with those specific personalities has an even smaller percentage of coming true.

One of these incredibly gifted human-beings (not just players), is 13th overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2017 NBA Draft, Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell, a guard out of the University of Louisville, has an incredible aura about him. His personality is honest and open, his game is silky smooth on the offensive side of the floor, while his defense is quite the opposite – tenacious and feisty. He’s that utterly rare combination of work-ethic, talent and intelligence packed into a somewhat small yet unique body and build.



His arms crossed and his stance relaxed, Mitchell exudes a quiet confidence. Mechanically, his shot is as NBA ready as any prospect in the draft with a quick release with a great stance. His improvement from his freshman year to sophomore year in Louisville saw him become a reliable 35.4 percent shooter from deep, and he’s headed to a Utah team coached by Quin Snyder, one of the best developmental coaches in the NBA.

This summer in Las Vegas, Mitchell announced his presence to the NBA world that may have otherwise been overlooking the late lotto pick. He managed to steal some of the Summer League spotlight away from the Lonzo Ball Show, as there was constant chatter in Vegas about how this player from Louisville ended up drafted so low. Mitchell’s mind and motivation for the game creates an unsatisfied, hungry player, even as praise gets piled on. While his emotions on the court aren’t easily identified, the game he loves to play means more to him than meets the eye.

“I don’t want my mom to work again,” Mitchell told DIME. “But competing at the highest level and being the best is why I’m motivated. Whether it’s having the highest vertical jump or having the most assists, I just want to win it all. I just know that this [game] can be taken away so quickly that you have to use every moment you have to your advantage. I think my injury during my sophomore year really made me realize that, put me over the edge and really changed who I am.”

Mitchell was once a two-sport star in high school and a promising baseball talent, like his father, before he suffered a broken wrist during a baseball game his sophomore year that took him off of the baseball field and the basketball court for a summer. He then transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire for his final two years of high school, where his basketball talents matured and made his path clearer, eventually ending up at Louisville with Rick Pitino. Mitchell remembers the way being sidelined helped refocus him on his goals and drove him to work harder to play catch up to his peers that spent the summer building their talents and profiles.

“When you sit out and you see all those guys that you think you’re better than and they get all the accolades, it’s kind-of like ‘alright, I see you, now I’m going to make all this ground up.'” Mitchell told DIME. “I’ve been doing that ever since and I just want to continue to build on that to be the best that I can be.”