Author of a superb start to the season under his new Cavaliers team, Donovan Mitchell has “rediscovered the pleasure of playing” on the Cleveland side. But this pleasure is not only linked to his new team if we are to believe the former Utah player, but also to the global environment in which he evolves.
Originally from Greater New York, the urban area surrounding the Big Apple, Donovan Mitchell was inevitably a bit out of place when he first settled in Salt Lake City (Utah) in 2017.
In the land of the Mormons and at the foot of the Wasatch mountains, Spida arrived in a city with a 65% white population, the complete opposite of Cleveland where the African-American community is the majority (47% of the population). Now in Ohio, Spida admits that he feels a little more at home than in Utah, where he has not only had good times during his five years at Jazz.
“It’s kind of comforting to me, for sure. I won’t lie to you. It’s no secret that I had to deal with a lot off the court in Utah. I never said it, but it was exhausting. […]
And the fact of not seeing many people like me in the stands [des Afro-américains, ndlr.], It was hard. Now in Cleveland, I can see them on the sidelines. That feels good. It’s a blessing to be around people like me again.”
– Donovan Mitchell, via Andscape
But what is Spida referring to when he says he had to “deal with a lot” in Utah?
It refers in particular to the actions of some Jazz fans inside the Vivint Arena, he who saw Utah supporters being kicked out of the hall for racially slurs towards opponents of color. We think of the verbal altercation involving Russell Westbrook in March 2019, or the insults thrown at the parents of Ja Morant during the series of the first round of the 2021 Playoffs between the Jazz and Memphis.
It also refers to some very significant episodes of his time in Utah, and far beyond the framework of a basketball game.
“There were a lot of things. A Utah state senator saying I need to educate myself about black history. To see young African Americans being bullied because of their skin color. To see a young girl hang herself because she has been abused. It was a lot.
Once, a policeman was aggressive towards me until I showed him my identity. And ever since, I’ve wondered what the hell could happen to a young African-American from Utah who doesn’t have the power to say, ‘this is who I am.
Very strong words that will no doubt resonate all the way to Salt Lake City, where Donovan Mitchell will return with the Cleveland jersey on next January 10 during the first Jazz – Cavaliers of the 2022-23 regular season.
In the meantime, we can count on Spida to continue to get a foothold in Ohio. Surrounded by “his own” and evolving within a team that is both young, ambitious and competitive, Mitchell is like a fish in water. So much so that we find his name in the various Top 10 MVPs of the season, rightly since the former Jazzman has 29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 average assists to carry the Cavaliers (21 wins – 11 losses) to the Eastern Conference podium.
____
Sources texte : Andscape, US Census Bureau (stats population)
