Donovan Mitchell Reminisces ‘Craziest’ Moment With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Which Put Him on the NBA Map

Certain dunks are remembered as iconic moments in basketball history, propelling young players into the spotlight and laying the groundwork for their future success. Donovan Mitchell’s rise to NBA prominence was no exception, with a dunk during the Elite 24 tournament in 2015 acting as his big break. Under Armour organized the Elite 24 game, featuring a lineup of high school stars who became some of the NBA’s best players like Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Jackson, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Brandon Ingram.

During this game, Spida hit such a marvelous dunk that made a statement of his arrival in the basketball community and propelled his career. And reminiscing about that dunk, Mitchell gave details about it in the Thanalysis Show.

Donovan Mitchell talks about his craziest dunk that put him on the map

When Donovan Mitchell appeared in the Thanalysis show hosted by the Greek Freaks brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo, he was asked about the craziest dunk he has ever hit. Answering him Mitchell said, “It’s the All-American game and that game was crazy with the amount of pros that were in it. It was like me, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick Jones, like there was a lot of talent. And D Jones took the ball from the inbound and threw it from the opposite free-throw line extended. He threw it all the way in the back and I ended up catching it with one hand and then I dunked it. And that was really the dunk like people really started to know who I was.”

Mitchell slammed a dunk that forever changed the course of his basketball career as he stunned the crowd. However, reflecting on that historic dunk, Spida noted that he was stunned by his own accomplishment because he was standing at a lower height than the usual NBA player. But even then with his amazing elevation and athleticism, he outshined every other rookie, projecting his future success in the game.

Indeed, Mitchell’s dunk in the Elite 24 game was only the beginning of his journey as in 2018 he established himself as one of the league’s most electrifying dunkers by winning the All-Star Dunk Contest.

Read More: NBA All-Star Weekend Has Jalen Brunson Causing Trouble To Donovan Mitchell And Injured Teammate Julius Randle

So, as Mitchell continues to surprise fans with his on-court actions, the legendary All-American dunk serves as a tribute to his skill, dedication, and ability to rise above the competition as that was the catalyst for Donovan Mitchell’s rise to NBA stardom.