Donovan Mitchell wasn’t much of a shooter. He wasn’t really a ball-handler or a passer. He didn’t have basketball in his blood.
But he could jump — high. Like, really high.
“I wasn’t really much of a basketball player,” Mitchell said. “I just dunked and played defense.”
He was better suited for the pitching mound where he could follow the path his father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., laid out in a previous lifetime as a minor league player in the Houston Astros organization.
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But the obvious choice isn’t always the best one.
Saturday night, the junior Mitchell came up against another son of a pro athlete — one who even shares a name and a bloodline with the first ever winner of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest.
But from the time Mitchell decided to ditch the stirrups for shorts on a permanent basis, he had a secret weapon.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been preparing for this since I was a kid. Like ‘What am I going to do?’” Mitchell said with a superstar smile and a freshly polished trophy in front of him. “But I didn’t know I’d be able to jump this high — so it kind of added a few more tricks.”
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No one’s were better at Staples Center in the premiere event of All-Star Weekend, with the Utah Jazz rookie out-dueling former Laker Larry Nance Jr. in the finals.
Since he first slammed a basketball through the rim as a seventh-grader at a Harlem Park, Mitchell’s mind had been at work.
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Chris Rock sits courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Actors Chadwick Boseman, center, and Michael B. Jordan, left, sit courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chance the Rapper bites into a piece of pizza courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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N.E.R.D perform with team mascots on the court at halftime of the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Fergie sings the National Anthem at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James laughs as he waits to receive his MVP trophy after leading Team LeBron to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Comedian Tracy Morgan eats a hot dog courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Kevin Hart is center stage during a pregame show at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James captains Team LeBron against Team Stephen (Curry) at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Team Stephen center Karl Anthony-Towns pulls down a rebound over Team LeBron center Andre Drummond during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry struggles to dribble past the defense of Victor Oladipo during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan of Team Stephen gets by Kevin Durant of Team LeBron during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan leads Joel Embiid to the court after the starting lineup for Team Stephen is announed at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team Stephen defender Draymond Green blocks the shot of Team LeBron center Al Horford during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry stays warm on the sideline during a break in the action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Jerry West chats with Bill Russel and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, left, courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James knocks Joel Embiid to the floor after losing control of the ball during first half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westbrook challenges Team Stephen defender DeMar DeRozan during first half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Joel Embiid signals after hitting a three-pointer for Team Stephen in the first half at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan is fouled by Paul George during the last minute of play at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James is awarded the MVP trophy after leading Team LeBron to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Stephen Curry is trapped by Team LeBron defenders as he tries to attempt a last second shot at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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LeBron James, right, and Kevin Durant celebrate a close win over Team Stephen Curry at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westbrook reacts after a kicked ball call prevented a fast break for Team LeBron at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James yells out after hitting a three-pointer late in the second half at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westrbrook fouls Giannis Antetokounmpo as LeBron James looks on during first half action in the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Team LeBron captain LeBron James shoots over Draymond Green to tie the score late in the game at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Giannis Antetokounmpo slams the ball home for two points over Team LeBron player Paul George during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, sporting a Darrell Griffith jersey, jumps over three people, including comedian Kevin Hart, during the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. flies to the basket during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oldaipo puts on a “Black Panther” mask given to him by the star of the blockbuster movie, Chadwick Bosman, during the Slam Dunk Contest.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Pacers guard Victor Oladipo wears a “Black Panther” mask while participating in the Slam Dunk contest.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. wears his father’s Phoenix Suns uniform during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell winds up as he elevates during the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. throws down a windmill dunk after taking a pass from his father, Larry Nance Sr., who won the first Slam Dunk contest in 1984.
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is congratulated by Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. after winning the Slam Dunk Contest.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Suns guard’ Devin Booker lines up a shot during the Three-Point Shooting Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
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Spencer Dinwiddie poses with the Skills Challenge Trophy after winning the competition on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Lou Williams competed in the Skills Challenge on Saturday night at Staples Center. He would lose in the first round to eventual champion Spencer Dinwiddie.
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Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic of Team World celebrates after receiving the Rising Stars Challenge MVP Trophy from Chris Webber on Friday night at Staples Center.
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Buddy Hield of Team World is defended by Jaylen Brown of Team USA during the Rising Stars Challenge.
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Team World’s Bogdan Bogdanovic made seven three-pointers to finish with 26 points in the Rising Stars game.
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Dennis Smith Jr., of Team USA elevates for a dunk during the Rising Stars game.
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Lauri Markkanen of Team World finishes off a dunk during the Rising Stars game at Staples Center.
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Team World’s Dillon Brooks is set to throw down a dunk during the Rising Stars game on Friday.
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Team USA forward Kyle Kuzma attempts a reverse layup against Domantas Sabonis of Team World during the Rising Stars game.
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Team World forward Ben Simmons sends a pass ahead to a teammate during the Rising Stars game on Friday night at Staples Center.
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Quavo, center, accepts the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP Trophy on Friday evening.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
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Michael B. Jordan and Jason Williams greet each other during the Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday.
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Nick Cannon and Justin Bieber watch the Celebrity Game from Team Lakers bench on Friday.
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Actor Jamie Foxx jokes around before the start of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday.
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
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Rachel DeMita of Team Clippers attempts a shot against Stefanie Dolson of Team Lakers during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
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Team Clippers’ Quavo leads a fast break against Team Lakers’ Justin Bieber during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday at Los Angeles Convention Center.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
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With the first dunk, he brought out a second backboard positioned behind the baseline, tossing the ball off the glass before windmilling it through on the other hoop.
Had it not been the opening dunk of the contest, it might’ve scored a 50.
For his second dunk, he involved his younger sister named — wait for it — Jordan. He caught a pass off the side of the backboard, leaping over her along with comedian Kevin Hart and Hart’s son.
The dunk scored a perfect 50.
He was perfect again to start the finals, flipping the ball off the backboard before catching it in the same hand, leading to another powerful windmill slam before closing out the contest with an homage to Vince Carter — banging in a reverse 360-degree windmill slam that Carter used to cap an iconic performance in 2000.
“I’ve watched a lot of Vince’s videos,” Mitchell said. “So, I figured, you know, at my size if I was able to get it, it would be a great dunk and a way to finish it, you know. And actually, funny story is I haven’t made that dunk in like half a year. I tried it in practice the past two days and tried it this morning, didn’t make it. Tried it last night, didn’t make it.”
But with everything on the line, needing 47 out of 50 points to beat Nance, Mitchell pulled it off.
“I didn’t think I was going to win, to be honest with you,” he said. “If you ask anybody around me, I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s fun to participate.’ That was my thing. ‘Yeah, it’s fun to be in it.’ I didn’t think this was going to happen.”
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Nance, though, was born to be in this position.
After injuries kept him from being considered the last two seasons, he entered the contest with creativity and force.
For his first dunk, he enlisted the famous NBA halftime act “Quick Change” to help him get into his father’s old Phoenix Suns jersey before he perfectly mimicked Larry Sr.’s signature “rock the cradle” dunk.
Nance, who had to quick change into a Cavaliers uniform after being traded by the Lakers at the deadline, had planned on doing that dunk to honor his dad since before he even made it to the NBA.
“It was very cool,” he said. “Obviously a big moment for my family and something I’ll cherish forever.”
Nance Jr. made it to the finals leaving Dallas’ Dennis Smith Jr. and Indiana’s Victor Oladipo behind in the opening round before falling to Mitchell.
Saturday’s victory was nothing new for Mitchell — his Utah team is the hottest in the NBA, winning 11 in a row before the All-Star break. And despite being picked 13th in the 2017 NBA draft, he’s one of the favorites for rookie of the year, averaging 19.6 points per game to lead all first-year players.
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And Saturday night, the former pitcher with baseball in his blood threw his best fastball.
“Maybe y’all don’t know, but I didn’t think any of this was going to happen,” Mitchell said. “So the fact that any of this is happening is incredible to me.”
Dan Woike is the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times after spending two seasons covering the league as a whole, with an emphasis on Los Angeles’ teams.
