Donovan Mitchell thought he was going to get drafted by the Charlotte Hornets

Donovan Mitchell solutions questions throughout an interview after being chosen by the Denver Nuggets because the thirteenth decide general throughout the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 22, 2017, in New York.

Frank Franklin II, AP

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Donovan Mitchell was an NBA All-Star this season however acquired sick over the All-Star Weekend and as a substitute of with the ability to play within the recreation or participate within the festivities, ended up watching all of it on TV from his lodge room in Cleveland.

Mitchell stated that his non-COVID-19-related sickness wasn’t something unhealthy — extra of a chilly than something. He’s feeling fantastic now and able to get again to taking part in, however he joked on Thursday that possibly he ought to have performed within the recreation, if for no different motive than to weaken a few of his Western Convention foes, like Stephen Curry or Devin Booker, who did play within the All-Star Sport.

“The league didn’t suppose it was a good suggestion, when you’re not feeling nice, to come back in and neither did I. I didn’t suppose it was good,” Mitchell stated, earlier than joking about hindsight being 20-20. “Wanting again at it, when you might discover a strategy to get Steph sick and E-book sick ... nahhh I’m taking part in. ... It simply didn’t make sense to go on the market, it will have been egocentric on my half.”

All laughs and jokes apart, Mitchell was dissatisfied that he couldn’t be part of the NBA’s seventy fifth anniversary celebration, which included lots of the NBA’s best gamers in historical past being within the area on the similar time on Sunday evening.

“Simply with the ability to be round excellence is big,” Mitchell stated. “I’ve by no means really bodily met Michael Jordan. ... You sort of get FOMO (worry of lacking out) a bit of bit.”

See, Mitchell initially thought that he was going to be drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, the staff that Jordan owns. He was just about instructed it was a certain factor. He was supposed to return to Charlotte for a second predraft exercise, which Jordan was going to attend, however that second exercise didn’t find yourself occurring after which Mitchell was drafted by the Nuggets and despatched to the Jazz on draft evening.

Mitchell, like most basketball followers and basketball gamers, holds Jordan in excessive regard and he’s one of many many gamers that Mitchell idolized rising up. So it stung fairly a bit when Mitchell noticed Jordan step onto the courtroom at halftime of the All-Star Sport after which shake palms with lots of the present gamers in attendance. Mitchell needed to be a kind of gamers.

Perhaps subsequent time.

New with the Jazz

Stat of the week

The Utah Jazz have 24 video games left within the 2021-22 season. Of their remaining video games, 14 of them will probably be on the highway and eight of these highway video games will probably be in opposition to groups which might be both playoff-bound or combating for a playoff spot.

This week on ‘Unsalvageable’

Try “Unsalvageable: A Utah Jazz Podcast,” hosted by Deseret Information Utah Jazz beat reporter Sarah Todd and lifelong Jazz fan Greg Foster (no, not that Greg Foster). This week the crew talks about what the Jazz have to do to show that they’re a critical staff that may contend for a title and this weekend they’ll reply listener questions.

New episodes come out each week. You'll be able to hear on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast and anyplace else you stream podcasts.

From the archives

This week in Jazz historical past

On Feb. 21, 1993, John Stockton and Karl Malone had been named co-MVPs of the All-Star Sport that was held in Salt Lake Metropolis on the Delta Heart. Twenty years later, the 2023 All-Star Sport will return to Utah and be held at Vivint Enviornment.

Additional factors

• Did a future Utah Jazz jersey simply get leaked? (Deseret Information)
• What's going to All-Star weekend appear to be in Salt Lake Metropolis? (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Danuel Home is making an attempt to purify the Jazz’s ingesting water ... because it had been (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Donovan Mitchell is aware of what's at stake for the Jazz this season (The Athletic)

Across the league

Ukrainian NBA gamers launch assertion condemning Russian invasion of their nation.

Knicks’ Derrick Rose sidelined after foot process.

Up subsequent

Feb. 25 | 7 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks | AT&T SportsNet

Feb. 27 | 1:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ Phoenix Suns | ABC

March 2 | 6 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets | AT&T SportsNet

March 4 | 6 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ New Orleans Pelicans | AT&T SportsNet

March 6 | 5 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder | AT&T SportsNet