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LOS ANGELES — Coming into All-Star Weekend, there were some who thought that Donovan Mitchell's time in Los Angeles would catapult him into stardom.
It turns out he may already be there.
At Rising Stars media day, each player on Team USA was given a podium, at which reporters could gather waiting for each player to come out. Forty to 50 assembled members of the international media waited for Mitchell. Only 10-15 media members, at most, waited for the other rookies and sophomores, including the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, and Brandon Ingram.
In other words, Mitchell was the star of the pregame show. Mitchell answered questions (both standard and highly weird) for 20 minutes, and here are the best and most insightful responses. Questions are in bold, Mitchell's answers follow.
Of the players playing in the Rising Stars game, besides Donovan Mitchell, who will be the first player to play in the real All-Star game?
I'm going to go with Ben (Simmons). He's talented, and he was close to being an All-Star this year. He can do a lot of things that a lot of rookies can't. He's instinctive, he knows the game, he knows how to get his teammates involved.
Of the Rising Stars players, who would you want to posterize and why?
My guy Lauri (Markkanen) or Jamal (Murray). When we played Jamal this season, we talked a lot of smack. Definitely those two.
When you get a chance to spend time with guys this weekend, who do you want to spend time with?
My guy Kuz (Kyle Kuzma), John Collins, De'Aaron Fox. Those are my guys, I'm real cool with them. JB, Jaylen Brown, I've known pretty much everyone on this team since high school. Just kind of hanging in the same way we did in high school, just with more cameras and a bigger city. It's fun. You just have to treat it like it's fun and just be kid, live the dream we've been dreaming about since we were younger.
Talk about your relationship with Kuzma.
Once I found out we were both in it, we talked and I said: "You can take any shot you want, it's your city, it's your game, you got it." He's a great guy and a talented scorer, he's done so much for his team as a rookie, and he has so much to improve on. It's pretty cool, every time he comes back home to Utah, we hang out.
Did Kuzma tune you into any Utah spots?
Park Cafe was one. I didn't know there was a Flemings in Utah until he told me. Copper Onion is pretty good too. Those are the three spots.
Do you have a hidden talent and can you prove it?
I can play the drums. (He proved it by drumming on the podium.)
Any predictions for this season's MVP?
I like Harden right now, just because of his team's success. He's one of the hardest guys I've had to defend, and on top of that, he's really talented. The 60-point triple-double is insane. I'd have to give him the edge right now.
Favorite dunk of all time?
I'd probably give it to Aaron Gordon, the one where he went over the mascot and under both legs. That's something that no one has seen. I'd seen it on YouTube and I've watched Aaron a lot in high school, watching his dunk videos. I've never seen him jump that high before.
What's clicked for you guys during this winning streak?
I think just the chemistry. Rudy (Gobert) came back, Ricky is averaging like 28, 6, and 7, playing out of his mind leading the team. I think the chemistry is the biggest thing with us, us going out there day by day and keeping the spirits high. I think one thing about our team that's different than most teams is whether we're last in the West or first in the West, we keep a positive energy in the locker room. Coaches are always happy and there's always a consistent vibe. We hang out on and off the court, a lot of teams don't really do that. We're always with each other, we make jokes in the group chat, we talk all the time. I think that builds trust and builds chemistry with the team.
How do you keep it going after the break?
It's my first time going through it, obviously. But one thing I've heard, the constant theme is to take this break and relax, but keep the same mindset.
We just talked with Jayson Tatum about the Rookies of the Year, and he said that he's amazed by your performance. Which one of the other guys would you pick?
I would say him. With the team that he has, it's easy for people to say "Well, look, he's not a star player on his team." It's hard when you have Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, two All-Stars on your team. Guys like myself, Ben (Simmons), Lauri (Markkanen), they don't have those two All-Stars. It's a credit to him to going out there and doing what he's doing in the role that he has. His shooting percentage has gone up from a further distance since college, and that's definitely impressive and a testament to his work ethic.
How important is it to have your family here?
My mom and my sister have been with me forever. To have them here is an honor and a blessing, so to have them here this weekend is like a "Thank you." This one weekend won't amount to the things they've done for me for so long, driving 14 hours to watch me play, and then to drive right back after the game. To have them here as part of this experience is definitely awesome. My sister is going crazy, trying to meet everybody. She met Gabrielle Union last night and freaked out.
When did the NBA become your plan?
May. It was a dream and a goal, but I didn't expect it to come so fast. When I came into college, I thought I would be there, three years, four years. Coming out of high school, I couldn't shoot. Couldn't dribble much. I was just a dunker. I just liked to dunk and play defense, and that was it. That started to come along at a rapid pace.
I worked out with Paul George and Chris Paul this summer, and they really changed my mind with a 25, 30-minute conversation. If these two future Hall of Famers feel that way, why shouldn't I feel that way about myself? And I got that thought and I started believing in myself.
Tell me about the first time you ever dunked.
I was outside in Harlem, and I was playing with a team called The City. I was on the left side, we were in layup lines, and the court was a little small, and it was slanted down, so I had to jump a little higher, I feel like. I just went up in layup lines. Three of us on the team dunked for the first time on the same day, so that was pretty cool. That was a pretty cool moment for us.
The first time I dunked in a game was at Greenwich Country Day, in the eighth grade in the south gym. I remember it like it was yesterday. I could tell you whatever you want about it.
According to oddsmakers, you're not the favorite to win the dunk contest. What would you tell those guys?
The (New England) Patriots were supposed to win the Super Bowl. Golden State was supposed to win the one series, I could tell you about a million others. They can make the odds how they want. The odds are just odds.
