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HOUSTON — At least Donovan Mitchell had a pretty good excuse for missing an open 3-pointer in the first quarter of Sunday’s Game 1 loss to the Houston Rockets: He was only wearing one shoe.
That wasn’t because of some impromptu shoe giveaway during the game — though, would anyone really be surprised if he did that? The shoe had just slipped off during a drive which forced Mitchell to play out the rest of possession without it.
That play brought a little extra attention to what Mitchell was wearing on Sunday — and those shoes were significant. For the first time, Mitchell wore his signature Adidas D.O.N. Issue #1 in a game.
“To be honest with you, it’s still kind of unreal to me,” Mitchell said. “For me, to get the shoes so soon, it took me by surprise; it still does to this day. I’m excited for them to go on sale. People have been asking for them nonstop.”
He even provided a little sales pitch to the media on Wednesday for the shoes that’ll go on sale in July.
“They are so comfortable,” Mitchell said. “I’m not just saying that because they are my shoe — they are so comfortable. I love the shoes, man. And it’s such a blessing to be able to wear them, especially in the playoffs.”
A year ago, Mitchell admitted some of the off-court stuff — like the debut of his shoes or his deal with Kobe Bryant’s BodyArmor — may have had more of an effect on him.
But it’s no longer a “whoa” moment for Mitchell to be sharing the stage with the likes of James Harden or being promoted by someone like Bryant. It might not be normal quite yet, but it’s starting to get there. That’s forced Mitchell to learn how to balance and prioritize — something that his current playoff rival has helped him do.
Harden and Mitchell shot a commercial together for BodyArmor during the regular season, and Mitchell took notes on how Harden handled the situation.
“One thing I’ve watched is the way he’s done the commercials and the deals and balanced it with his schedule,” Mitchell said.
Could his shoes get added attention ahead of their launch? Could Kobe make an appearance at a game to watch his two drink endorsers go at it in the playoffs?
Sure.
But those things are secondary to what Mitchell really wants to accomplish.
“For myself, we are in a hole and we have to get out of a hole, and I think that’s where my head is at,” Mitchell said.
He’s now been focused solely on figuring out the Houston defense and helping the Utah Jazz even up their first-round series. He thinks he has found some answers, too.
“I’m not going to give the answer,” Mitchell said. “There are different things I have looked at, different things I have seen — whether that's handling the ball or being off the ball. My teammates have also done a great job of talking to me about what they see. I’m going to make some adjustments, plenty of adjustments.”
