As Donovan Mitchell returns to Salt Lake City for the first time since his offseason trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Utah Jazz made sure it’s extra special.
The Jazz honored Mitchell in his first game back to his old stomping ground, playing a video tribute that shows some of his best moments with the team–from the day he was drafted to his several highlight plays and dunks throughout his five years with the team.
Donovan Mitchell will always be important to the Jazz, especially since it’s the All-Star guard who made the franchise relevant over the past half-decade. In Utah, Spida established himself as one of the most exciting players to watch in the league, often providing monstrous dunks and incredible displays of athleticism.
While Mitchell did admit that his time in Utah is not all that beautiful and there were some things that he didn’t like, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his time there. As for the Jazz, it’s clear they have all the respect and admiration for the player who led them to five straight playoff appearances.
Prior to his trip to Utah, the new Cavs guard did share his hope that his return will be met with cheers instead of boos. And he did get just that as the Utah faithful gave him a standing ovation as well.
“I hope it’s cheers. We did a lot of great things there. Obviously, we didn’t accomplish our end goal. But I had a lot of positives despite not winning a championship. That’s not easy. Only one team does it. We had five cracks at it, and we missed,” Mitchell said of his return to the Jazz.