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SALT LAKE CITY — Dwyane Wade had a short answer when he was asked if there was a specific game that stuck out against the Jazz in Utah.
“No,” Wade said, laughing.
It wasn’t meant to be an insult. It was just the truth. He remembered the Vivint Arena crowd and the atmosphere, but there just wasn't a game that came to the top of his mind.
That might change after Wednesday night. His last game in Salt Lake City and last one against the Jazz might prove to be pretty memorable. The reason? Donovan Mitchell.
Wade was a little confused why he was leaving the hotel to venture into the cold Salt Lake City air Tuesday night. But when he walked through the doors at Valter’s Osteria, it all made sense.
He saw Mitchell.
He saw representatives from Stance (a sock company which Wade and Mitchell both have lines with). And he saw a rocking chair — a retirement gift from Mitchell. It was a surprise farewell dinner for him.
“It was cool to walk in and see the guys from Stance here, see Donovan in there, Royce (O’Neale) was in here,” Wade said. “It was great, man. I appreciate it. Thankful. We had some great conversations in the rocking chair.”
And they’ve had some good ones without it, too.
Wade and Mitchell’s mentor-mentee relationship has been well chronicled. Mitchell saw similarities in his game and reached out to Wade. And Wade proved to be a willing teacher — willing to talk hours and hours on the phone and give advice to the eager young Jazz star.
“From the beginning, it went together,” Wade said. “I knew that he was someone who was a fan of my game. I was actually a fan of his game at Lousiville, watched him play his career there.
"We were able to build a relationship and it took on a life of its own.”
Mitchell admitted Wednesday that he's modeled his game after Wade’s. He’s also surprised the Heat legend hasn’t grown tired of all his questions and all of his calls for advice.
“Not a lot of guys are like that where they take you in, they listen and they answer your questions,” Mitchell said of Wade. “... For him to do that, it’s really special. Playing against him one last time, I’m glad to get the opportunity to play him both in Miami and here in Utah. He’s done a lot for this game, a lot for everything, and I’m really excited.”
Why does Wade happily answer? He sees a lot of himself in Mitchell. The same type of game, yes. But also the same type of ability to win over a crowd. He understands that he can help a young player reach the next level — so why not help.
“We are both undersized for not only our position but also for what we are capable of doing,” Wade said. “I was undersized and able to block shots the way I was, the way I scored. I was able to do it like I was a bigger guy. Explosive, exciting, tough.
“He’s better than I was from a shooting standpoint,” Wade continued. “ Having a guy like me to call and pick his brain. I didn't have that when I was that young, so he definitely has that advantage.”
While Wade can’t single out any particular memory in Salt Lake (Jazz fans would likely point to the 2012 game when Devin Harris converted a go-ahead 3-point play with 4.5 seconds left to beat a Heat team that would go on to win a championship as the most memorable game against Wade), he does have great respect for the Utah crowd.
“If you get into a place like Utah and get a win — we’ve got a couple — it felt really good,” Wade said. “This has always been a tough place to play. They've got great friends. Gracious fans. It’s always been a great environment.”
