Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has signature kicks now, and they exemplify some of his best attributes as a player and person.
Although he continues to have brilliant moments/stretches/games on the regular, there’s no denying that the Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell has been striking more sour notes than he did during his breakout rookie campaign. That’s not a criticism — just reality for a up-and-coming star on his second go-round.
Despite his occasional struggles on the court, though, Mitchell continues to come up aces as a person. His winning attitude was exemplified most recently with the announcement of his signature shoe — the D.O.N., Issue No. 1 — last week.
Under normal circumstances, the signature shoe grounds are fertile for the worst kind of self aggrandisement. Mitchell, however, is anything but normal, and his kicks are a departure from those of his contemporaries in the best possible ways.
Their status as a symbol of positivity is right there in the name; D.O.N. is an acronym meaning Determination Over Negativity. That’s not just a phrase that perfectly sums up Mitchell’s own outlook and personal journey to stardom with the Jazz, it’s the kind of credo we should all follow.
The 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up broke down what that means not with a giant press conference or by talking with big-name reporters, but by giving teenage students and aspiring sportswriters Rory Ashmeade and Blaise New the opportunity to break the shoe story themselves.
I am lucky enough to know Donovan since I was in 2nd grade and I now have the honor of being the first one to introduce and interview Donovan Mitchell on the launch of his new adidas shoe! Here is the hyperlink to view the exciting news! https://t.co/yHWtxpll1N @adidashoops
— Blaise New (@blaise_new) December 27, 2018
Said Mitchell, during his chat with the duo: “My message with this shoe is that it’s for kids not only your age, but younger than you guys, older than you guys, just believe that they can do anything.”
Mitchell’s message of shooting for the stars isn’t just for those with deep pockets, either. The shoe game is a pricey one, but the Jazz star was insistent that his kicks be affordable for everyone to wear and enjoy —
"“I wanted the shoe to be accessible to all people, both price-wise and color-wise, and I wanted everything to be relatable to the everyday person that can’t spend $250 on shoes. I wanted to work with adidas to find ways to make sure the shoe was accessible to everybody who wants to wear them.”"
When was the last time you heard about a person in Mitchell’s situation actively trying to make the product bearing their name less profitable? I’ll wait…
I get it — Mitchell’s not curing cancer here and he and Adidas both stand to make a hefty chunk of change on their shoes. Nevertheless, his continued eschewing of the prima donna pro athlete stereotype and insistence on taking the road less traveled with regards to his relationship with fans and the messages he sends them is a rare treasure.
Enjoy it, Utah. It’s truly something special.