Donovan Mitchell’s Time Is Now

As Donovan Mitchell stepped onto the court for the first game of the 2024-25 NBA season, he embodied a mix of determination and expectation.

Those emotions culminated in the Cleveland Cavaliers earning their first victory of the season, a 30-point blowout of the Toronto Raptors, a trend that’s continued throughout the early portion of the season. With the Cavs currently at 12-0, their undefeated record is a perfect match for the energy Mitchell exudes. He’s not allowed previous post-season losses to outweigh his victories and the lessons learned.

The early chapters of his career were marked by dazzling achievements: from his time at Louisville, where he earned First Team All-ACC honors, to becoming a first-round draft pick in 2017. Traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Utah Jazz, Mitchell made headlines during his rookie campaign, becoming an NBA Slam Dunk Champion and Rookie of the Year runner-up, quickly establishing himself as a force in the league.

While Mitchell’s time in Utah included multiple playoff berths where he established a reputation as one of today’s most clutch postseason performers in the league, he would be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to the 2022-23 NBA season. The change in scenery did not affect Mitchell’s output, as he reached career-bests in multiple categories, including scoring, three-pointers, and field-goal percentage.

Landing on the All-NBA Second Team following that season, the five-time All-Star cemented himself as one of the more elite shooting guards in the NBA today. Yet, as Mitchell prepares for another season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the narrative has shifted. Individual accolades are no longer the focus; the conversation has evolved into a quest for a championship.

Despite his remarkable personal achievements, questions loom over his ability to lead a franchise to its ultimate goal. The Cavaliers, bolstered by a promising roster, are fueled by championship aspirations, and Mitchell is at the heart of that ambition.

This summer, he made headlines again—not for a spectacular play or a flashy dunk, but for his decision to commit to the Cavaliers with a three-year contract extension worth just over $150 million. This move not only silenced rumors of a potential departure but also solidified his status as a cornerstone of a franchise yearning for a title. It’s a full-circle moment for Mitchell, who, as a young boy in 2010, witnessed LeBron James announce his decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat at the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich. Now, years later, Mitchell stands poised to lead the team that James once left behind.

Off the court, Mitchell’s partnership with BodyArmor showcases his dedication to health and performance, reflecting his commitment to both his personal and professional growth. As he gears up for a season that could define his legacy, Donovan Mitchell is not just chasing personal accolades. He’s on a mission to etch his name in Cavaliers history and bring a championship to Cleveland. The road ahead is filled with challenges, but for Mitchell, the time is now.

The upcoming NBA season is right around the corner, how would you describe your mind state headed into training camp?

You know, for me, right now, determined. At the end of the season, we were hurt, we were banged up a little bit. So just showing what we really are as a group. Obviously, we have Kenny Atkinson as a coach and we’re excited to rally behind him and keep it going.

Last season ended on a sour note, in the second round of the playoffs. In what ways did that loss motivate you?

Yeah, it definitely did. For one, I had to really take a step back and kind of adjust. Obviously, being hurt with the knee, I started giving myself more time to figure out the nuances of how to approach the game. So now I’m kinda coming into it where you’re building up at a later date, which was different for me. But obviously you want to be healthy for the games that are in April, May, and June. So like I said, time and taking priority in your body and focusing in on that. So it’s been good. Good work non-stop. We’ve done all the right things and I feel ready to go.

You just signed a three-year contract extension to stay in Cleveland. What made you decide to plant your flag in Cleveland with the Cavs for the foreseeable future?

Just the belief, not only myself but in the group and in the organization. Believing that we’re all willing to win and do whatever it takes to win, that was pretty much my thing. I think going out there and competing with my guys on a daily basis you see how much we all want it. See how much you know, we can continue to thrive as well as we continue to build. So my biggest thing is how do we continue to go take step after step and just make improvements each year. So for me, it was a no-brainer that I was coming back. And now that I signed the deal, that’s not the end goal. We need to continue to still build and continue to win and that’s the goal.

Some critics in the past have questioned whether you can lead a team to a championship, due to your playing style, and so on and so forth. What would be your response to those critics?

You’re gonna have to wait and see [laughs]. I’m never one that allowed the public opinion of myself to dictate what I do on the floor. I know how hard I work, I know how good of a player I am, and I know how I make others better on the floor. Now, the biggest thing is just go out there and win it. Once that happens, there’s none of that. There’s gonna be more of that in different areas. People are gonna say what they’re gonna say, so for me, just continue to be myself. Continue to play, continue to work hard, and continue to find ways to win. And at the end of the day, everything else will take care of itself.

Definitely. You’re a brand ambassador for BodyArmor. How did the opportunity to join the team come about?

Yeah, about five years ago, I started working with the brand. And when I do my brand deals and endorsements and stuff like that, just being able to align with a brand that’s synonymous with what we want to accomplish. So like I said, I want to be the best, I want to be a champion, we have a brand that’s doing just that. Continuing to find ways to have the healthiest sports drink. Now, we have sport water, which is probably the one thing I have in the house the most. Just being able to partner with a brand that’s just continuing to find ways to be innovative, wants to be the best out there, and is synonymous with my own goals. The partnership’s been great, the brand’s been great, we’ve been great. And I’m just looking to continue to build and continue to get better.

Definitely, how would you say you’ve grown the most, on the court and personally, throughout the years?

On the court, I think patience. I think being able to let the game come to me, being able to make others better. Uplift, empower, and be more of a better leader. Not to say that I wasn’t, but just continuing to get better as a leader. And off the floor, like I said, I finally got my own personal chef, you look at the BodyArmor partnership, just being able to do what’s necessary for us so [playing] on the floor becomes easier. It’s not easy, but it makes your job easier, makes your life easier, it makes your priorities focused. Like I said, you’ve got the chef, you’ve got the sports drink, you got the treatments, you got the trainers. You got all these different things off the floor that allow me to be who I am on the floor.

Podcasts have given athletes the opportunity to share their own narratives. Has that been something that you be interested in doing, either during your playing career or after?

I’ll probably join the media world after my playing career, but during, [no]. I’m not really a podcast person. It’s not for me. It’s not something I really see myself getting into. At least until after I’m done playing, for sure.

Speaking of podcasts, former NBA player, Brandon Jennings kind of threw some shots at you on the Gil’s Arena podcast. Did you want to send a rebuttal or anything [Laughs]?

[Laughs]. Nah. He got it. I’m cool.

The Cavs have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference over the past few seasons but still are trying to get over the hump to an NBA Finals or championship. What do you think it would take for you to get over that hump and do you think it’s championship or bust for this year?

I don’t think it’s championship or bust, I think Giannis made a great point, there’s only one Champion. You’re gonna fail, there’s gonna be failures. You know what I’m saying? It’s not always going to be everybody at the end of the road, celebrating. So just continuing to find ways to improve and build. Look at the Celtics. Over seven, eight years, they’ve been plugging and plugging and finding ways and now they’re champions. The same thing as the Denver Nuggets.

So you’ve got to continue to find ways to build upon that so you don’t just necessarily throw teams together and expect it just to happen right away. Now, we did a lot of positive things in the past two years I’ve been there, don’t get me wrong. But, yeah, for us, it’s how do we play our best basketball at the right time? How can we continue to build upon and get better each year now? Now granted, we’re not in it for consolation prizes.

We’re not here to say all that, but at the end of the day, there’s only one team out there. And our goal is to be that last team standing and if we’re not, we come back and get ready for the year after. That’s the goal each year. So, for me, I don’t think it’s championship or bust, but I think we got the tools in place that we can be a championship contending team. But at the end of the day, we’ve gotta go out there and show that. It’s easy for me to tell you that right now, but we got to go out there and show that on a nightly basis.

What would you say is the best thing about working with the BodyArmor team?

I would say, probably the fact that we are synonymous in our goal, our end goal to create the best sports drink and sports water possible. The one that I’ve drank that allows athletes to be able to flourish and be able to go out there and feel like the best that they can. And also the fact that I get a lot of water [laughs].

Definitely the fact that we, as a sports drink brand and as a brand, my own self, being able to align in the fact that we’re trying to make sure that we feel our best, every time we’re out there on the floor.

What’s your favorite BodyArmor flavor?

Fruit Punch. I’m not drinking more than fruit punch [laughs]

What’s the music that you’re listening to to gear up for the season?

I definitely was excited during the Kendrick and Drake beef. Listening to both sides, it was just great for music, man. I still listen to all the songs, probably in order, to this day cause it was just great music. It was great times. I listen to Hov, pretty much every day. Gunna. Those are pretty much the guys I listen to on a daily basis.

Who do you think won the battle?

I think Kendrick got it. I think Kendrick got that one.

Do you have any advice for the incoming rookie class?

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is tuning out the noise. I feel like everybody’s kind of been talking about this draft class, as far as who’s gonna be the star, who’s gonna be this? Is it a week draft class, is it a strong class? I think just tune out the noise and go play your game. And whatever it is you excel at, at the end of the day, that’s it, for real.

What’s next for Donovan Mitchell, on and off the court?

On the floor, the goal is First Team All-NBA and an NBA championship. If immediately all in the same year, that would be great [laughs]. But just continuing to be the best player I can be for my teammates, for myself, for this organization, for this city. And off the floor, I’ve got a few things. Getting into the wine space. Obviously, we’ve done a lot of work here with BodyArmor. And for me, man, just continuing to grow. Build my business, build my brand, and build what’s around me. I’m not the 20-year-old I was when I got into the league. I’m 28 now. Just continuing to build the brand, myself.