LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Donovan Mitchell said that he feels well enough to compete — on a basketball court as well as on a simulated basketball court.
Only the latter competition is in play today because of the novel cornonavirus. Mitchell, the former University of Louisville basketball star, tested positive for the virus three weeks ago, shortly after his Utah Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert became the first NBA player to test positive.
Mitchell spoke with Craig Bolerjack and Matt Harpring of the Jazz broadcast team Wednesday night during a playback of a Jazz game on a Utah TV station.
Mitchell was cleared of the disease last Friday. In a story published by KSLSports.com, Mitchell said, “I feel the exact same way I felt in OKC (Oklahoma City) which is a blessing.” (Story link.)
The Jazz were scheduled to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 11. Gobert’s positive test was announced. The game was postponed and the NBA season was suspended. Mitchell’s positive test was announced the following day.
Let’s get it!!! @NBA2K https://t.co/Ovl7iOHUHr
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) March 31, 2020
“I’ve literally been down here in my basement playing Xbox, ps4 for hours upon hours of the day if I’m not working out,” Mitchell said on the broadcast, according to KSLSports.
“The first week was tough, I could be around my family but only for a short period of time because I was in isolation. Now we’re able to rewatch movies, last night I was cooking, I was on Instagram live cooking I learned how to make duck for the first time in my life.”
Mitchell is one of 16 NBA players who will compete in an NBA2K video game tournament for charity that begins Friday. Mitchell will play Rui Hachimura, a rookie with the Atlanta Hawks.
The E-sports event will be televised on ESPN and ESPN2 with a prize of $100,000 going to a charity chosen by the winner. Former Kentucky stars Devin Booker and DeMarcus Cousins will also play, along with all-star Kevin Durant.
This quarantine has allowed me to see how many sweatshirts my mom and sister have stolen from my closet in the past 2 years😒😒😒😒
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) March 31, 2020
Although multiple scenarios have been discussed about the return of the NBA, including one that mentioned Louisville as a host city for a series of best-of-three playoff events, Mitchell said that will be challenging.
“If we do get back to playing we’re going to need a lot of time to build our way back into it,” he said. “
“It’s not just the getting in shape stuff but finding that rhythm. We were really at our peak or getting towards that peak time as far as rhythm goes and now that’s got to restart.”
In his third NBA season, Mitchell ranked third in the NBA in scoring at 20 points per game. The Jazz were 41-23, the fourth best record in the Western Conference.
After playing for the U.S. national team last summer, Mitchell was invited to try-out for the American Olympic team. The 2020 games in Tokyo have been postponed until next year.
“It’s been tough,” Mitchell said. “But the NBA, and teams, and the NBAPA, and trainers have done a great job about sending us schedules and sending us things that we can do and tailoring it for the individual.”
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