Donovan Mitchell is a young guard who first entered the National Basketball Association during the 2017 Draft.
Since his introduction into the professional league, Mitchell has been making waves and proving what the next generation of basketball players is capable of.
There are few young players who show as much potential for greatness as Mitchell, with teams across the National Basketball Association fighting for a chance to have him join their teams.
How Tall Is Donovan Mitchell?
Donovan Mitchell is 6’1”, although, in the past, he has been listed as being as tall as 6’3”.
Donovan Mitchell addresses the fallout of his height finally being revealed as 6-1. He also mentioned he’s given Royce O’Neale grief for coming in at 6-4. As the session ended and Donovan walked away, he yelled back at us, “It’s 6-1 and a quarter, by the way!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/9n1lEwLgnN
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) October 22, 2019
Donovan Mitchell is long and explosive off of two feet in space. Plays much bigger than his height. pic.twitter.com/TXcAZIpF0J
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) June 3, 2017
So, how is Cole Anthony listed 6’3 on https://t.co/CegvtElM4C while Donovan Mitchell is listed 6’1?
On the court they look the same height too. pic.twitter.com/nQFs48aAdw
— Davide Possagno (@DavePos5) November 8, 2021
Donovan Mitchell is a New York native from Elmsford, where his mother worked as a school teacher and his father served as the director of player relations for the New York Mets.
Although Mitchell played both baseball and basketball throughout high school, it would be his passion for basketball that would lead him to the University of Louisville.
Following his passion for basketball proved to be the right decision in Mitchell’s sophomore year, when he was named First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference.
Mitchell would go on to become the Denver Nuggets’ 13th overall pick in the 2017 National Basketball Association draft before immediately being traded to the Utah Jazz.
During his rookie year, Mitchell was scoring 20.5 points per game and was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month from December through April.
Mitchell scored at least 25 points in 27 games, including a home game against the New Orleans Pelicans in which he scored 41 points.
After serving as the guard for the Utah Jazz, Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2022 season and is set to remain with the Ohio team until 2026.
Ever since his introduction into the professional league, Mitchell has made a name for himself and even earned himself a nickname, “Spida.”
Mitchell’s influence has been so strong that “Spida” was even added to the dictionary as an official word.
Why Is Donovan Mitchell Called “Spida”?
Donovan Mitchell has been called Spida since before his time in the National Basketball Association because one of his friends’ fathers used to call him that due to his long, spindly arms and legs.
In 2018, Spida was added as a slang term on Dictionary.com.
The official definition of a Spida is, “A basketball species usually found above the rim; equipped with superhuman senses, shot-slinging abilities and unrivaled bounce.”
This website even goes as far as to compare Mitchell with Spider-Man, claiming “both are daring and determined. Both are stealthy and smart.”
Donovan Mitchell loves to incorporate his nickname into the designs of his merchandise, especially the shoe line he has designed with Adidas.
Mitchell has even teamed up with Will Smith to create an entire line of shoes with Adidas.
According to Head of Talent Relations at Genies Jake Becker, “Will and Donovan are two of the most creative, expressive, and defiant icons out there…”
The collaboration between the 2 social icons strived to show self-expression and authenticity, using bold patterns and even bolder color palettes.
The shoe designs feature both Mitchell’s Spida logo and the term “Bel-Air” written all over them since this is also a collaboration between Adidas and Will Smith’s clothing company, Bel-Air Athletics.
