SALT LAKE CITY — Donovan Mitchell sure knows how to make kids — of all ages — put a smile on their face even when he’s not soaring and slamming.
In what has become a fun tradition, Mitchell finished his warmup before Tuesday’s game against Orlando, took off a pair of his signature shoes and then gave them to a kid in the crowd.
This time, the youngster, wearing a golden No. 45 Jazz jersey, excitedly grabbed the blue and black D.O.N. Issue #1 Star Wars Lightsaber shoes from Spida, waved at a camera, tapped Mitchell’s extended hand and then threw his head back in a celebratory disbelief.
The caption on Sports Illustrated’s tweet, which included a video from @NBAKicks, aptly described the fun moment.
“Christmas came early for this little guy. His reaction to @spidadmitchell hooking him up with his kicks is priceless.”
Here are a few other times Mitchell has given away a pair of his popular shoes:
• The unforgettable time he gave his shoes to a 102-year-old super fan:
• Then there was the time he made the day of a 12-year-old with terminal cancer.
• Don’t forget the young Jazz fan, already wearing Mitchell’s classic red-and-blue original shoes, received some kicks that his hero had just worn in a game against the Lakers.
Those were the fun times.
There was, however, one time when a youngster didn’t know how to react and actually turned down the gesture (something the kid might later regret).
OTHER LINKS
• If you were wondering what kind of cleat Texas players were going to wear in the Alamo Bowl, this is your lucky day.
• Not surprisingly, former USU star Bobby Wagner and ex-Utah great Eric Weddle were named to the Sporting News’ NFL All-Decade team.
• Former St. George resident Penei Sewell, a star offensive lineman for Oregon, was named the Polynesian College Co-Football Player of the Year with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
AND FINALLY ...
Utah State’s football team was in a prime time slot even before the Frisco Bowl — Prime Time, that is.