Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell spent the last 15 minutes of his two-day youth basketball camp in Cleveland answering questions from campers and their parents. One of the parents asked him what he wants to be remembered for in 30 years. Mitchell hesitated, praised the question, then finally said that he wants to be known for more than just being a basketball player.
”If I could impact one child at this camp, one moment, that’s what it’s about,” Mitchell said to reporters when asked the same question afterward. “In 30 years, that’s what my legacy is going to be. Yeah, if we win championships, that’d be fantastic, but at the end of the day, who are you as a person? What did you leave? What was your impact?”
Mitchell embodied that philosophy during his camp on Sunday morning. He energetically participated with the campers in their drills, played three-on-three with them, and went out of his way to make sure he interacted with everyone there. Most campers were from the area, but some made the drive from as far as West Virginia or flew in from Panama. Making sure each of them left with a memory was a goal for Mitchell.
“I want the kids to have that moment so when they go and tell the stories to their parents and to their friends and be able to say, ‘Hey, I was with that guy’ that they see on TV,” Mitchell said. “That I’m reachable. I’m touchable. I’m not just some character that they can’t really touch. I’m here.”
Mitchell made sure that everyone at the camp had fun while also raising money for his foundation, Spida Cares. The foundation helps in many charitable causes, but two stand out for Mitchell. The first being homelessness.
“People always need a place to stay, a trustworthy place to stay,” Mitchell said. “There are so many different situations that [lead to homelessness] that are just unfortunate. Just being able to shine a light on that, just give help where it’s needed, that’s our biggest emphasis.”
Education is the other.
“I think the biggest thing is education,” Mitchell said. “Just understanding that this is our youth. … I think everybody wakes up and is like, ‘I want to hoop. I want to play basketball.’ It’s like, no, there’s so much more than that. And it starts in school. It starts with education. And this is a small part of what we’re trying to do on the education front. I think the biggest thing is always being able to get our teachers paid more. I know that firsthand from watching my mom (who was a teacher) sacrifice on a daily basis for the classroom. I think that is definitely key.”
Mitchell poses for a group photo with the campers.
Mitchell taking a group photo with the campers.
Jackson Flickinger
Mitchell doesn’t just want to throw money at education, he wants to use basketball as a way to possibly teach himself.
“I think for myself, just finding ways to impact the youth in that way,” Mitchell said when asked about coaching kids directly after his playing career is over. “I’m obviously not going to be a teacher, but being a coach is a form of being a teacher and an educator in a sense. So that’s something that…I’m pretty passionate about.”
Mitchell has done amazing things on the court for the Cavs in the three years he’s been in Cleveland. He’s established himself as a perennial All-NBA player and will only continue to rise in the rankings of greatest Cavaliers ever the longer he stays with the team. But for as good a player he’s been, he knows that there’s more to life than just basketball. He wants to impact a community that he calls his “home away from home.”
“Understanding that there’s life outside of just the game,” Mitchell said. “This game is going to always go on, even though I’m not here. It’s life. So understanding that for me, I’m always going to appreciate the legacy that you leave off the court. The way I’m able to reach people and touch people because that’s ultimately everlasting.”
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