Donovan Mitchell Calls Time in Utah 'Draining,' Says ‘It’s a Blessing to Be Back Around People That Look Like Me’

Following Donovan Mitchell’s trade from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the shooting guard has described his time in Utah as “draining.”

December 19, 2022

Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers — Image via Getty/Jason Miller
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Following Donovan Mitchell’s trade from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the shooting guard has described his time in Utah as “draining.”

In an interview with Marc J. Spears for Andscape, Mitchell said it’s been “comforting” to see more Black fans in the stands during his time with the Cavaliers. “It's a little comforting for me, 100 percent. I’m not going to lie about that," he explained." It’s no secret there’s a lot of stuff that I dealt with being in Utah off the floor. If I’m being honest with you, I never really said this, but it was draining. It was just draining on my energy just because you can’t sit in your room and cheer for me and then do all these different things.”

The Utah Jazz fanbase has faced accusations of racism in the past, and while he doesn’t think every Jazz fan is racist it’s been prevalent enough to leave a bad impression. "I’m not saying specifically every fan, but I just feel like it was a lot of things. A [Utah] state senator [Stuart Adams] saying I need to get educated on my own Black history. Seeing Black kids getting bullied because of their skin color," he continued. "Seeing a little girl [Isabella Tichenor] hang herself because she’s being bullied.... Man, it was just one thing after another. And I will say, it’s not the only place it happens.”

He first noticed the discrimination he faced as part of the team, whether it be direct or indirect, when he posted a photo on Juneteenth prior to the COVID-19 NBA bubble. “People just started nonstop going at me like, ‘Man, you don’t know what you’re talking about. There is injustice everywhere. It’s not just Black people,’” he said. “I’m just like, ‘Y’all have no idea.’ I took on a lot because I felt like I could do it. But at some point, it became a lot to have to deal with.”

Despite some unsavory experiences with the Jazz, he added that he made sure to “invite young Black and brown kids to games, to be around community.”

In comparison, Cleveland has been “refreshing” for him. “Being in Cleveland now, you see us courtside,” he said. “It’s a blessing to be back around people that look like me.”