The last couple of weeks have been tough for the Jazz All-Star, Donovan Mitchell. First, Utah blew a 3-1 lead over the Nuggets in the NBA playoffs and were eliminated. Now, his grandmother has passed away.
Donovan Mitchell posted an emotional message on Instagram after the death of his grandmother.
Mitchell scored 57 points in Game 1 of the Jazz's first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
In a 2019 Players Tribune article, Mitchell's mother, Nicole, shared an anecdote about the bond he and his grandmother shared from early childhood.
"Whenever we used to go over to his grandma’s house for dinner, we’d clear off the coffee table and he’d hop up there and dance to her old records. That was our ritual. We’d have a nice little dance party," Nicole Mitchell wrote.
Mitchell's mother has been an important part of the All-Star's public life while keeping him grounded about the foundation his grandmother laid.
"Grandma came from Panama," Nicole Mitchell would tell Donovan, per Jonathan Abrams of Bleacher Report. "We [were] starting from scratch. ... Now we figured out a big chunk. Now you're going to have to figure out some more. You respect yourself and you love yourself and your joy's in your heart. Not in some country club that you belong to."
Despite being professional athletes, these players are also regular people with feelings, and our thoughts and prayers go to the Mitchell family.