Confidence is a trait that top Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell has plenty of.
And it is one of the reasons why he is currently in the running for the the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, despite being outside of the Top 10 and picked 13th overall during the 2017 NBA Draft.
“Act like you belong. If you don’t show that confidence, a lot of guys will thrive off of that. You can’t back down,” said Mitchell, who visited Manila for the first time for a promotional tour organized by his sponsor adidas last Sunday.
The 21-year-old Mitchell, who is coming off a stellar rookie season, shared his first-year experience in the NBA in a special press conference at the adidas store in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Sunday.
He was named as one of the top contenders for the NBA 2018 Rookie of the Year Award averaging 20.5 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists during the regular season.
Mitchell said that about the same time last year, he didn’t have any idea if he was going to go in the first round of the draft.
Now, aside from being in the running for the top rookie award, Mitchell also crowned himself the Slam Dunk king during the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend.
When asked what’s next for him now that he is no longer a rookie, he said: “Just get better defensively and find ways to hit the tough shots.”
Mitchell’s climb to stardom was the subject of a short-form digital docu-series titled “Rookie On The Rise” which first premiered on Young Hollywood earlier in April.
Mitchell revealed in the 11th episode of the series how he earned the moniker ‘Spida’. It turned out that a former teammate’s dad first called him that name and it stuck ever since.
In the same press conference, Mitchell also mentioned qualities that aspiring players must possess in order to succeed.
“Work ethic, fundamentals, listening to your parents, having fun and keeping good people around you. Understand that mistakes are part of it,” said Mitchell, who was joined on the panel by the local star and PBA veteran Chris Tiu, Gilas player Kobe Paras and the new UP Fighting Maroon Bright Akhuetie, who all got to impart a bit about themselves as well.
After the press conference, Mitchell showed his dribbling skills and shooting fundamentals to young basketball players at the Taft Food by the Court.