NBA ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY

February 18, 2023

Donovan Mitchell

Media Day Press Conference

Q. With the draft happening right before the game, I know they're going to pick the reserves, but do you think it might be a little awkward to be the guy --

DONOVAN MITCHELL: No, I mean, I think that's for the fans and for you guys to kind of come in and talk about. I think at the end of the day, we're here. We're at the All-Star Weekend. It's an honor just to be here. Whoever gets picked last, if it's -- even when we did it when we were all at home, if you get picked last, it's whatever.

At the end of the day, you worked hard to be an All-Star, and it's the All-Star Weekend. It's a blessing. We're not worried about who gets picked last. That's for everybody else to kind of speculate.

Q. (On the Cavaliers.)

DONOVAN MITCHELL: I think the biggest thing is, first of all, our defensive effort. You know, obviously we have talent to score offensively, but defensively I think it will be our staple. It's something we will continue to build upon as a group.

Like I said, we have guys that haven't been to the playoffs, and I don't think that will matter. I think we have a group of guys that really continue to put the work in.

So when the time comes, we'll be ready to go. I'm excited to see what we have going forward.

Q. It's wide open across the league this year.

DONOVAN MITCHELL: Yeah. I wouldn't say this year in particular. I think the last few years it's been (that way). I would say really after COVID until now I think there's been a lot of -- really, outside of Golden State, has really been the only consistent (contender) outside of Cleveland when Bron was here. I think there's a lot of different things that can happen.

Knock on wood for everybody in here, but there's injuries. Health is a big factor. There's luck. There's seeding. There's who you go get. You look at the West, you may run into the Lakers first round. In the East, you have a lot of talented teams at the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 spots. There's no guarantees.

You have to go out there and take everything. You have to earn it and work for it and be ready when your bell is called.

Q. (Off microphone.)

DONOVAN MITCHELL: I think at the end of the day, they put the time and the work throughout the regular season. That will equate to success in the playoffs. I think for us it's not putting too much pressure on that moment. And I think we have a lot of guys that are really good at that.

Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro are really the three out of our starting group, our core group that haven't been. With the vets that we have, the guys that we have supporting, I think it's a great mixture, for sure.

Q. What would you say is your guilty pleasure song?

DONOVAN MITCHELL: Guilty pleasure. (Laughing) Probably "Heaven Sent" by Keyshia Cole. That's my song.

Q. Are you excited to play --

DONOVAN MITCHELL: Shout-out to everybody in the Philippines. I went there a few years ago. You were there. You were there. It's something I really want to go back to at some point and go back and see.

I definitely shout out to everybody in the Philippines. I appreciate the support. I appreciate the love, and hopefully I get to represent my country for sure.

Q. What makes you want to visit Bali?

DONOVAN MITCHELL: I just looked it up on Google, and it looked pretty sweet to go to.

I'm just all about traveling to different places. I know that travel, it's a long flight, but it's definitely something at some point in my life I definitely want to make that trip.

Q. Can you tell us what is in the NBA script for tomorrow and for the rest of the season?

DONOVAN MITCHELL: Oh, man. These script jokes are getting out of hand, first and foremost. I don't know. I know I didn't get my script. I don't know. I mean, that's the goal. That's why we play this game, so hopefully we get that done.

Q. (On playing pickup basketball as a youngster.)

DONOVAN MITCHELL: Yeah, I was trash. I didn't get picked first a lot. I got picked last a bunch of times. I was a baseball player growing up too. I was not really good at basketball until, like, my sophomore year of college, for real.

I've been average. I haven't really been -- if it came to baseball, I would be picked first for sure.

Q. (Off microphone.)

DONOVAN MITCHELL: Definitely top three as far as rowdiness and loudness and craziness. I have played in the playoffs every year. I've only been in the West, obviously. OKC is up there too. But Utah, OKC. Am I tripping? Where else have we played? We've played Houston every time in the playoffs. Am I missing anything?

Q. Golden State, Los Angeles a good crowd.

DONOVAN MITCHELL: I've never been to Golden State in the playoffs. Can't sleep on the Garden in the playoffs. We saw when they played the Hawks. Am I missing anybody? Oh, Cleveland. What am I talking about? Cleveland. I've never been -- actually, I have. I went when they played Golden State in the playoffs, and just the intro, the city, the vibe. So I rank you top four, top four for sure. Top four.