Donovan Mitchell | All-Star Media Availability

Donovan Mitchell | All-Star Media Availability

From Jaylen um I kind of saw what he’s was going to do so I can’t really spoil it but you know he’s got some he’s got some um it’s dope that’s all I’m going to say it’s dope he’s got some stuff for sure best player in the

League it’s hard to go against jic what he you know he what he consistently does I think you know we get bored with the level of greatness you’ve seen it happen in the league in the past you’ve seen with Braun you know not getting certain MVP awards you’ve seen it but he’s just

Consistent you know um like we I was trying to find like what’s next but we understand like and then you know Joel what he was doing before he got hurt you know so I think it’s between those two right now what they’ve been able to accomplish um you know were able to do

This year I should say um definitely and the best team that we faced um thank you um trying to think I would say we haven’t really played some of the top teams in the west you know like the Minnesota or the the Phoenix’s or the played the Lakers once when they weren’t

We weren’t or I don’t think we were fully healthy um the Clippers I mean excuse me we played the Clippers yeah we played the Clippers um I would probably say outside of us if I couldn’t answer us I would say the on that we face I would say the Clippers

Are definitely you know one of the top teams in the league for sure oh what up man good to see you um for me personally it changed my life to be honest um like the I don’t really think you guys knew who spider really was until I won the dunk contest

You know and that really changed just from a branding standpoint from a marketing standpoint from from all that like off the floor my life changed in the blink of an eye um then we started winning after that too we win before that and started winning but I’ve win

The dunk contest it changes a lot you know it’s it’s truly uh it’s truly a blessing you know to have that but you know I wish I’m glad jaylen’s doing I wish guys continuously more continuously you know do the D contest but it’s something that you know changed my life for

Sure uh I would say probably my being able to be a floor general you know I I you throw the word point guard around you know there’s not many Chris Pauls out here anymore you know I mean there’s there’s different firm different ways you can be a a scoring point guard

Two guard whatever you want to call it so being able to manage games being able to kind of you know get my teammates involved being able to to score where needed being able to do all that I think that’s something that I kid coming out of Louisville like I know what the hell

What the hell I was doing to be honest I’m just used to Rick patino’s presses running up and down trapping and you know doing all this hectic uh um stuff um so I think for me just being able to calm myself down kind of be aware survey situation understand you know what guys

Need to get going understanding then also on the defensive end you know but that was what I was doing at Louisville so I mean that’s that’s nothing new for me um but I think being able to be a floor General um for sure oh I don’t think that’s a bad thing I

Think you got there’s just so much talent you know what I mean there’s so many different things I think you know we look at it we we look at the the the older days as like you know the scoring was low and whatnot but like there’s just so many guys who can score

In so many different ways so many tricks there’s so many and that just happens evolution of Life evolution in the game is going you’re going to find ways and you know I don’t think there’s such thing as too much offense I think there can be a little more defensive like

Stuff that guys are allowed to do on defense I don’t think um you know Defenders are allowed to do certain things and I also think off offensive players have exploited that which which makes us the best at what we do um so I think you know it’ll

I think next year it’ll change to be more you know defensive friendly as well but you know the end of the day you can’t stop you know it’s hard to guard a guy one1 in space especially with the spacing we have in this league it’s hard

You know what I mean so it’s definitely going to be tough but you can find ways to make it tougher but I hate to say but we’re really good at what we do so it’s going to be definitely tough yeah what my minute didn’t you ask me that

Like uh 10 year olds would take to beat me in a pickup game I don’t know like 50 to 100 I guess I I I I I can’t I can’t really um I guess 5200 I’m just going to start shooting from half court Michael Jordan for

Sure what song do I listen to before I get on the court I would say probably Threat by Jay-Z um probably the first one I listen to yeah you’re going to test my knowledge of Dominican baseball players I mean that’s that’s the the big pop is the the obvious answer I was

Really going to try to go like you know deeper in my bag but I really don’t have one right now I’m gonna go probably David Ortiz David Ortiz for sure is it like real fighting or is it WWE fighting okay um I’d probably say bam or Jaylen um

Probably because I’ve known them the longest Jaylen Brown um I probably known them the the longest you ain’t come this far to just to nope sorry you ain’t come this far just to come this far yeah you’re stupid um it’s it’s unfortunate but we’ve had

To overcome a lot since I left um you know there’s so much you know that it’s unfortunate but it’s just we’ve had to overcome it so so much you know and especially now you you you’re in a world where kids you know and I understand it like Shi away from the program because

Of the sanctions and this uncertainty of the future kids don’t want to have to you know go into a situation where they can’t play in the highest level so you know that delays you know a lot of the development post uh Coach P and then you

Know um there’s been so much and then right now you know things have you know been up and down you know and I think there’s a lot of anger uh that I see at least from what I see I haven’t been back to to Louisville unfortunately for a

Basketball game but you know I think the the biggest thing is now just understanding that it will come you know we’re a household name we’re Louisville basketball you know I can’t speak on when or how or who that’s not it’s not up to me but you know understanding that

When I was there I understand what Louisville basketball is you know and understanding that it it will come you know what I mean and I think you know it’s it’s unfortunate you know that we haven’t been back but like I said we’ve been through a lot you know and when you

Go through a lot and things like that like it doesn’t just happen right away you know especially it’s tougher though when you see your you know your opponents you know people that we’ve beaten over years you know having success that they have but we’ll be we’ll be back I’m I’m confident in that

That we’ll be back for sure as a what um man it’s it’s a blessing you know it’s it’s pretty wild I talk to people about this all the time like myself and Lamar you know being a Freshman and being in freshman classmates um to now being you know he

Doing what he’s doing I’m doing what I’m doing it’s it’s it’s a blessing you know what I mean so I didn’t see this coming you may have seen it from Lamar during his time but I don’t think even and y’all can be honest y’all probably didn’t know this was coming when I was

At Louisville so um just to be able to be here and be in this situation and then every time I go back you know to see them wearing my shoes uh wearing my gear we have more stuff coming with um with Adidas that I can’t really reveal

Yet but like there’s so much more and then on top of that to see you know just the love and support you know that’s been there since I played in the Kentucky the was the Kentucky Derby Classic the Derby Derby Derby Festival classic like to be able to see the love

Hasn’t changed you know what I mean that’s to me that just shows and that’s why I firmly believe like we’ll we’ll be fine like you know I mean we have to kind of weather a storm of you know things that have happened around us but I’m no doubt that we’ll be we’ll be

Fine yeah I mean I want to say myself you know I’m not going to definitely I’m definitely put myself in that category I think you know myself you got the Lucas you got JT you got you know you got the Jaws um I’m missing people for sure

Um I think it’ be I can think it can be spread out for sure I think you know when respectfully nobody’s LeBron James I’m just being honest I think you know we got wimy you know who’s who’s like the the next one is 74 or what he is so

That think is definitely going to be spread out I think and I was speaking to I think Joe about it like there’s just so much talent there’s just so many different guys who can do so many different things in this league that I think that’ll be what’s celebrated you

Know what I mean I think that’ll be something but at the end of the day it has to be somebody and you know I always say to myself why can’t it be me is that four Coach Carter um Ling basketball and this is not in order by the way Ling

Basketball um white man can’t jump um Space Jam we got to put space B in there too last two last two Tyrese has been you know his development and his to see his I would even say development I think he’s always been like this I think he’s just taking it

You know to a higher level but he’s he’s he’s good man you know he’s I was talking to just about being a floor general floor manager he he does a really good job of that um got a lot of respect for him in his game his work

Ethic and he’s he’s been able to lead it’s tough obviously he’s been out with the hamstring injury what not but he’s still been able to lead you know those guys um you know continue to play at the highest level you know got a lot of respect for him

Yep yeah I think you know the NBA what we’ve done as a league you know with the PA we’ve done a phenomenal job of being able to support that you know why what better way to do that than not only putting it on TV but putting it at

Allstar Weekend you know after after I answer this question I’m over there right now you know just to be able to show our love and support because at the end of the day like you know if we don’t support us then who will you know what I

Mean so like for us is like being able to go out there and continue to put ourselves on the highest platform possible at hpcu and you know um excuse me you know I think that’s something that you know the NBA has done a phenomenal job with continuing to to

Listen to players you know be able to do these things and you know like I said I’m about to go show my support right now and um you know I think it’s me we’re going to continue to grow continue to get better at it

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell spoke to the media during NBA All-Star Media Day on February 17, 2024.