Kyle Korver: ‘Never been around a young player like Donovan Mitchell’

Donovan Mitchell may be blaming himself for missing the wide open three at the end of the game to tie it, but Kyle Korver and the rest of the Utah Jazz certainly are not. In an interview after the game, Kyle Korver had nothing but praise for the second year Utah Jazz player.

I have never been around a young player like Donovan Mitchell. I have never seen someone so young take ownership of a team, take ownership of his play ... do it with charisma, do it with class. I have never seen that in my 16 years in the NBA.

And he missed a tough shot tonight, but it’s just going to be part of his story. If you’ve played any meaningful basketball in the NBA, you have a shot like that. ... I don’t care who it is in history, everyone has a shot they want back. I think of who he is, he’s going to put too much on that shot.

We missed free throws. We missed dunks. We missed layups. We missed threes. It was not about that shot. We had so many more chances to win that game. But we’re super proud of him. ... He’s on a great path in this NBA.

That’s saying a lot coming from Kyle Korver. He played with another special second year player in Deron Williams. Donovan Mitchell is on a special path. While this chapter of his story will more than likely end with the Houston Rockets winning the series, he’s on a special path to superstardom. Donovan Mitchell is a special player, and most players recognize it and know it.