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Donovan Mitchell knows that he has a large platform being on Team USA and representing his country on the world stage. So what does he do when the lights are becoming the brightest? Send a message. Not just the message of putting a ball through a hoop, but writing that message on his shoes. As the United States grapples with the pain and sorrows of repeated gun violence and mass shootings, Donovan Mitchell took the opportunity to write “End Gun Violence!” on his shoes.
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Rohan Smith, senior report for News.com.au, asked Donovan Mitchell about the shoes and this is what Donovan Mitchell had to say:
“Obviously we [the United States] have our own rights. I think senseless violence is crazy. I think why not use this platform to bring awareness. I personally can’t solve the problem myself, but I think as our country we need to become more aware—and honestly, it’s sad. It’s sad.
“You never know, I think Coach Kerr said it a few weeks ago where you could walk into a mall and, ya know, that could be it for you. You could walk into a movie theatre, that could be it. That’s very sad. I feel for—I don’t know what they’re going through—but I feel for everybody from El Paso, Dayton, to Sandy Hook. I was 20 minutes away at school when Sandy Hook happened. Ya know, it’s a scary feeling to never know what may happen. I think it just needs to come to a stop.”
I asked Donovan Mitchell why he wrote “End Gun Violence” on his shoes tonight. It’s deeply personal. #BoomersUSA @spidadmitchell @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/83TK32zMDo
— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) August 22, 2019
There isn’t a day that goes by that Donovan Mitchell does not make us proud. He is so mature and understands the importance of his platform. We join alongside Donovan Mitchell in raising awareness of this sensitive issue.
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