Donovan Mitchell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024
No. 45 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1996-09-07) September 7, 1996 (age 28) Elmsford, New York, U.S.
High school	Canterbury School (New Milford, Connecticut) Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Louisville (2015–2017)
NBA Draft	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Pro career	2017–present
League	NBA
Career history
2017–2022	Utah Jazz
2022–present	Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
6× NBA All-Star (2020–2025) All-NBA First Team (2025) All-NBA Second Team (2023) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018) NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2018) First-team All-ACC (2017)

Donovan Vernell Mitchell Jr. is a talented American basketball player. He was born on September 7, 1996. He plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. People call him "Spida" because of his quick moves. He was picked in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft. He played for the Utah Jazz from 2017 to 2022. Donovan has been chosen as an NBA All-Star six times. He has also been named to the All-NBA Team twice.

Mitchell played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. He earned top honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2017. As a rookie with the Utah Jazz, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He also won the exciting NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2018. In 2022, he was traded from the Jazz to the Cavaliers. He helped Cleveland reach the playoffs for the first time in years. That season, he set a Cavaliers record by scoring 71 points in one game. In 2025, he was named to the All-NBA First Team. This happened after he led Cleveland to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Early Life and Family

Donovan Mitchell was born on September 7, 1996. His parents are Donovan Sr. and Nicole. He grew up in Elmsford, New York. His mother is a teacher and has Panamanian roots. His father used to play Minor League Baseball.

Because his dad worked for the New York Mets, Donovan spent his childhood around baseball locker rooms. When he was seven, he looked up to Mets pitcher Scott Kazmir. Later, he admired David Wright. At eight, he played AAU basketball. He played for the Riverside Hawks in New York City. His future Cavaliers teammate, Ty Jerome, was also on that team. Mitchell also played for The City program in New York City. He has a younger sister named Jordan.

High School Basketball Journey

Mitchell first went to Canterbury School in New Milford. He played both basketball and baseball there. His baseball career ended in his second year. He broke his wrist in a collision with a catcher. This injury also stopped him from playing AAU basketball that season.

For his last two years, his mother moved him to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He focused on basketball there. Brewster had a famous basketball program. This helped him get more attention from college coaches. He was very popular at his new school. He even ran for senior prefect. He also acted in school musicals. He gave tours to new students as part of the Gold Key Club. He won two national championships with Brewster's team. Mitchell also played streetball games at the famous Rucker Park in New York City. He committed to play college basketball at the University of Louisville.

College Basketball Career

Mitchell playing for Louisville in 2017

Donovan Mitchell chose to wear number 45 on his jersey. He did this to honor Michael Jordan. Jordan wore the same number during his baseball career. He also wore it when he first returned to the NBA in 1995.

As a freshman at the University of Louisville, Mitchell did not start many games. He averaged 7.4 points, 1.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. In his second year, Mitchell's game improved a lot. He averaged 15.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. He shot well from the field and the free-throw line. He was named to the First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. After his sophomore season, Mitchell decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Journey

Utah Jazz (2017–2022)

Rookie Season: A Strong Start

Mitchell playing for Utah Jazz in 2018

The Denver Nuggets picked Mitchell 13th overall in the 2017 NBA draft. But they traded him to the Utah Jazz right away. On July 5, 2017, Mitchell signed his first NBA contract with the Jazz. He also signed a shoe deal with Adidas. In the 2017 NBA Summer League, he scored 37 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. This was the most by any player in that Summer League.

In his first NBA game on October 18, 2017, he scored 10 points. On December 1, 2017, he scored a career-high 41 points. This was in a 114–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He set a new Jazz rookie scoring record. He was the first NBA rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to score 40 points in a game. He also became the first Jazz rookie to score 40 points.

In February 2018, Mitchell was chosen for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He won the contest with amazing dunks. He was the first rookie to win since Zach LaVine. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month multiple times. On April 10, he set a rookie record for most three-pointers in a season. He made 186 three-pointers. On May 22, 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

In his playoff debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored 27 points. He led the Jazz to a 4–2 series win. He averaged 28.5 points per game in that series. His 171 points were the third-most ever by a rookie in their first six playoff games.

Sophomore Season: Continued Growth

Mitchell with the Jazz in 2019

On October 24, 2018, Mitchell scored 38 points against the Houston Rockets. In January 2019, he had his first double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. He had five games with 30 or more points in January. On March 2, Mitchell scored a career-high 46 points. This was in a 115–111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He tied this career-high again on April 9 against the Denver Nuggets.

The Jazz were eliminated by the Rockets in the playoffs again. Mitchell had some tough games but also scored 34 and 31 points in other games.

First All-Star Selection (2019–2020)

Mitchell started the 2019–20 season with 32 points and 12 assists. On November 23, he scored 37 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 16, 2020, he tied his career-high of 46 points. On January 30, Mitchell was named an All-Star for the first time. He was chosen as a reserve for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.

On March 11, 2020, Mitchell and teammate Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. This led to the NBA suspending its season. The league later restarted in the NBA Bubble. On August 17, 2020, Mitchell scored 57 points against the Nuggets. This was the third most points in playoff history. Six days later, he scored 51 points. He joined Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only players to score 50 or more points twice in a playoff series.

After the season, Mitchell signed a big contract extension with the Jazz.

Best Record in the NBA (2020–2021)

On February 23, 2021, Mitchell was named an All-Star for the second time. He missed the last 16 games of the regular season due to an ankle injury. Still, the Jazz finished with the best record in the NBA. This gave them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. Then they played the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 1, Mitchell scored 45 points. He followed that with 37 points in Game 2. The Jazz took a 2–0 series lead. Mitchell had a great Game 6 with 39 points. However, the Jazz lost four straight games and were eliminated by the Clippers.

Final Season in Utah (2021–2022)

On February 3, 2022, Mitchell was named an All-Star for the third time. In the playoffs, he scored 32 points in Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz lost to Dallas in six games. After this playoff loss, the Jazz decided to trade both Mitchell and Gobert.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2022–Present)

First All-NBA Team Selection (2022–2023)

Mitchell in 2022

On September 1, 2022, Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The trade involved several players and draft picks. He made his Cavaliers debut on October 19, scoring 31 points. On October 28, Mitchell scored 41 points in a win over the Boston Celtics. He and teammate Caris LeVert both scored 41 points.

On January 2, 2023, Mitchell had an incredible game. He scored a career-high and Cavaliers-record 71 points. He also had eight rebounds and 11 assists. This was in a 145–134 overtime win against the Chicago Bulls. It was the highest-scoring game for any NBA player since Kobe Bryant's 81-point game in 2006. Mitchell became only the seventh player in NBA history to score 70 or more points. He was also the first to do so with at least 10 assists.

On January 26, Mitchell was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. This was his fourth straight All-Star selection. On March 31, Mitchell scored 42 points. He passed LeBron James for the most 40-point games in a season by a Cavalier. On April 4, Mitchell scored 43 points. This was his fourth straight 40-point game. He led the Cavaliers to a 117–113 victory over the Orlando Magic. He became the first Cavalier to score 40 or more points in four straight games. His performance helped the Cavaliers secure the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. They also had their first 50-win season since 1993 without LeBron James.

In his first playoff game with the Cavs, Mitchell scored 38 points. In Game 2, he had a playoff career-high 13 assists. The Cavaliers were eliminated by the New York Knicks in five games.

Eastern Conference Semifinals Appearance (2023–2024)

In March 2024, Mitchell fractured his nose. He also had a bone bruise in his left knee. These injuries caused him to miss several games. He had a procedure to fix his nose.

In Game 6 of the playoffs against the Orlando Magic, Mitchell scored 50 points. The Cavaliers lost that game. He scored 52.1% of his team's points, a record for a player trying to win a playoff series. On May 5, Mitchell scored 39 points in a Game 7 victory. This sent the Cavaliers past the Magic to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Cleveland won its first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993. Mitchell scored 89 points in Games 6 and 7. This was almost a record set by Allen Iverson. In the Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, he missed Games 4 and 5 due to a calf strain. The Cavaliers were eliminated in five games.

All-NBA First Team Selection (2024–2025)

On July 7, 2024, the Cavaliers signed Mitchell to a new three-year contract. On November 2, Mitchell scored the game-winning shot against the Milwaukee Bucks. He finished with 30 points in that game. On January 25, 2025, Mitchell was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. This was his sixth straight All-Star selection. On February 28, Mitchell scored a season-high 41 points. This helped the Cavaliers come back from a 22-point deficit to beat the Boston Celtics.

Mitchell led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64–18. This was the second-best regular season record in franchise history. He also became only the third player in franchise history to be named to the All-NBA First Team. The others were Mark Price and LeBron James.

On May 4, Mitchell scored 33 points in Game 1 of the Conference Semifinals. He broke a record held by Michael Jordan for most consecutive playoff games with at least 30 points in a series opener. He then scored 48 points in Game 2 and 43 points in Game 3. He joined LeBron James as the only players in franchise history to have back-to-back 40-point games in the playoffs. In Game 4, he hurt his left ankle and missed the second half. Mitchell started Game 5 despite the injury. The Cavaliers were eliminated in a close 114–105 loss. He still scored 35 points in that game.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal Life

Mitchell in 2023

During the 2017–18 NBA season, Mitchell was featured on the cover of Slam magazine. He also starred in a documentary called Rookie on the Rise. This show followed Mitchell as he competed for NBA Rookie of the Year.

Mitchell is a big fan of the New York Mets baseball team. He often goes to their games when he's not playing basketball. His father, Donovan Sr., has worked for the Mets for over twenty years.

On July 11, 2025, Mitchell announced that he was engaged to singer and actress Coco Jones.

See also

In Spanish: Donovan Mitchell para niños

• List of NBA career 3-point scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-season 3-point scoring leaders