Since 2017, Donovan Mitchell has been a trailblazer, setting and breaking records for Utah Jazz, the National Basketball Association (NBA) team for which he plays. While he plays for the Salt Lake City-based NBA team, he was initially recruited by the Denver Nuggets in the 2017 NBA Draft but didn’t get to play for them as he soon jetted off to his current franchise in a trade.
A twist of fate presented Donovan’s star the opportunity to shine when he replaced Aaron Gordon at the 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Gordon had suffered a left hip flexor strain, giving Donovan the platform to win with 48 and 50 scores in the first round which was followed by a 50 and 48 in the last round. In addition to winning the coveted Slam Dunk contest that year, the first rookie to achieve that since Zach LaVine, he also recorded some other rookie achievements.
Donovan Mitchell’s Bio, Age
The Slam Dunker was born on September 7, 1996, in Elmsford, New York, where he also grew up. His parents are Donovan Mitchell Sr. and Nicole Mitchell and there is also a younger sister named Jordan in the picture.
He got his early formal education from different schools including Greenwich Country Day School, Canterbury School – both in Connecticut. He then wrapped up his junior and senior years at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and also grew his balling skills playing at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for The City and Riverside Hawks programs which took him out of New York.
Before he settled for basketball, he also played a bit of baseball in his high school but chose to play just basketball for the University of Louisville. His freshman year was decorated with 7.4 points, 1.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds average per game. He raised the bars a bit higher in his second season in college by averaging 15.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. The First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference title was awarded to him as a reward for his input. He then declared his intentions to play in the big league and entered the 2017 NBA draft.
The Denver Nuggets came for him with the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft but he couldn’t play with the team as he was sent off on a trade to Utah Jazz in exchange for Tyler Lydon and Trey Lyles. Mitchell Donovan officially signed his first NBA contract with the Jazz on July 5, 2017. He made history afterward by scoring 37 points in a match against the Memphis Grizzlies which went down history lane as the highest ever scored in the 2017 NBA Summer League.
He played his first match in the NBA on October 18, 2017, against the Denver Nuggets. A career-high 41 points scored by Mitchell Donovan on December 1, 2017, shook things up on Jazz’s scoring record for a rookie and he didn’t hit it once but twice, the second time being on February 2, 2018. He was also rated among the likes of Blake Griffin and Allen Iverson as one of the NBA rookies to score up to 40 points in a game.
With a productive rookie season behind him, it was time for the accolades and they kept rolling in. Being named as an injury replacement for Aaron Gordon on February 5, 2018, added another award to Donovan’s shelf as he went on to win the 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He is the first rookie since Zach LaVine to lift the trophy.
Among his countless rookie accomplishments are getting named as the Western Conference rookie of the month (three times in the same season) and setting a rookie record for most three-pointers in one season. Mitchell Donovan continued his record-breaking streak, setting and breaking them in a heartbeat, and was eventually named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team on 22nd May 2018.
Dad
Donovan Mitchell is probably so good at what he does because he grew up in a sports environment. His father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., has been the director of players relations for the New York Mets for some years and before that, he served in many positions in the Astros’ Minor League system.
If there’s one thing we know about senior Mitchell, it is the fact that he is super proud of his son and goes to watch him play each time the opportunity comes up. Who wouldn’t be a proud father to one of the hottest players in the NBA?
His Girlfriend
Her name is Deja Lighty and her beauty matches the basketball star she is dating. Though it’s not clear how or when they met, they seem to be perfect for each other. They are often spotted together at games or just getting big on PDAs. Her LinkedIn profile says she works with the Cleveland Cavaliers as an Account Executive.
Height, Weight
At 6 feet 2 inches (1.9 m) tall, Donovan Mitchell sort of debunks the cliche of a very tall baller standing a better chance at performance than shorter ballers. Although his height is quite impressive, he cannot be counted among the tallest but has achieved more in one year than most taller players. He weighs a comfortable 95 kg and has a wingspan of 2.08 m.
