Donovan Mitchell asks Twitter for barbecue to attend, ends up at local pool party

SALT LAKE CITY — Donovan Mitchell made a splash in his first year in the NBA, and also apparently made a splash in some random fan’s pool Wednesday.

It all started with a tweet. The Utah Jazz guard took to social media asking fans where any Fourth of July barbecues were happening in Salt Lake City. “Might just pull up,” he added.

> Where’s the BBQ’s at Salt Lake??? Might just pull up HAPPY 4th > > — Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) [July 4, 2018](https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/status/1014542798140276736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

That sparked a frenzy of responses from people throughout Utah trying to recruit the guard to their backyard barbecue. In all, more than 600 people responded, though some did just to joke about Utah barbecues. Regardless, there were some intriguing invitations on the table.

Some posted photos of water slides in their backyards, some posted photos of food they were preparing on the grill, while others propositioned good seats to fireworks shows across the Wasatch Front.

In the end, it appears Mitchell settled for the classic pool option. A fan posted a photo on Twitter that he said he received from his cousin earlier in the day showing Mitchell holding a basketball in a pool.

Mitchell told reporters Thursday the photo was taken from a party he and some of his Jazz teammates crashed in Sandy.

"I saw the pool and I saw the basket, and said I gotta get in, gotta have fun," he said.

In all, he said he visited two or three spots in Salt Lake Valley after he tweeted Wednesday morning in what he described as a fun cool experience. He added the whole idea was something he thought of when he woke up.

> Donovan Mitchell on barbecue crashing on the Fourth of July: "I thought of it when I woke up. I made it to two or three (places). I saw the pool and I saw the basket, and said I gotta get in, gotta have fun." > > — Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) [July 5, 2018](https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/1015018406653775874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Mitchell has been in town supporting teammates in the Utah Jazz Summer League and it’s clear Mitchell-mania is alive and well in Utah. Since arriving back in Salt Lake last week, [Mitchell tweeted about people trying to take stealth photos of him at the airport](https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/status/1012828120984875008). Deseret News Jazz beat writer [Eric Woodyard also tweeted a video Monday](https://twitter.com/E_Woodyard/status/1013884540706742273) of people participating in the Jazz’s 3-on-3 tournament mobbing Mitchell for a photo when he made a brief unannounced appearance.

> Donovan Mitchell was just mobbed by a group of young fans at the Utah Jazz 3-on-3 Tournament before pulling off in his white Audi. “I just wanted to come by,” Mitchell said, smiling. “If I was a kid, I would die if my hero came to this.” [pic.twitter.com/P4EUUvKxUO](https://t.co/P4EUUvKxUO) > > — Eric Woodyard (@E\_Woodyard) [July 2, 2018](https://twitter.com/E_Woodyard/status/1013884540706742273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Wednesday’s Fourth of July fun was also a stark contrast for Jazz fans from 2017 when news broke early that former Jazz forward [Gordon Hayward had decided to sign with Boston over Utah](https://www.ksl.com/?nid=304&sid=44887098). That initial report was refuted and die-hard fans spent their holiday nervously rechecking Twitter to see the latest updates until it was officially confirmed in the evening through [Hayward's guest post in the Players Tribune](https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/gordon-hayward-decision-free-agency-nba).

What a difference a year makes for Jazz fans.

Contributing: Andy Larsen, KSL.com