Kings Central: Davion Mitchell feels blessed to be playing basketball in Sacramento | NBC Sports CA

Kings Central: Davion Mitchell feels blessed to be playing basketball in Sacramento | NBC Sports CA

Hello everyone welcome to another edition of King Central I’m Kyle Draper coming to you from macroad Valley High Community Center and it was a special day out here as the Sacramento Kings in Kaiser Permanente refurbished two basketball courts out here the courts were originally refurbished back in

2014 and then they changed it up this year as they added some new font new script and some new colors to this community Court it was also a special day for the kids here because they got to interact with two Sacramento Kings players Kobe Jones the rookie and

Third-year pro Davon Mitchell I had a chance to sit down and go one onone with Davon and we talked everything from being out here and giving back to the community also growing up in Hinesville Georgia and what he likes to do for fun that’s right Davon he actually has some

Fun he’ll tell you about it here’s that sit down interview with Davon in this month’s edition of King Central What’s up everybody it’s your boy draes and welcome to another edition of King Central I’m honored to be joined by the pride of Hinesville Georgia you know I got to get a HomeTown a shout out my guy off night Davon Mitchell and Davon we’re out here in Sacramento we just had a

Court dedication ceremony what does it mean to you to give back to the community like this no it means a lot man especially cuz that’s kind of what I want to do in my area Hans georg’s build a court and actually build a gym so so I

Can give that to the community so kids can have somewhere to go to work out and to to have the the resources to to get better at basketball I mean if they want to play basketball also just to to have fun to play the game of basketball cuz

It’s a little bit tough in a smaller City with all the high school you can’t they’re not really letting you in uh the recreation centers they still got like volleyball and things like that so just trying to trying to do something in the community for the people that want to

Play basketball for sure we were talking earlier you know when you show up to events like these for me it’s like I see myself in these kids you feel that too 100% man especially cuz I was always trying to play basketall anywhere you know what I’m saying the gym closed and

In the morning time me and my friends will go outside and I mean this is a nice area but the courts are nice I ain’t never had goals this nice but it’s super nice out here but uh it’s it’s definitely a true blessing for the people that do that for for the

Community let’s talk basketball you’re in your third NBA season what’s it been like for you so far the transition to the NBA the transition I mean it’s been it’s been ups and Downs uh I mean kind of like life though it’s been ups and downs uh I’ve been learning a lot from

It having fun with it cuz I’m still playing the game that I love um but just learning man just K trying to learn every day trying to get better every day trying to push myself every day to get better but it’s definitely been a a fun Journey what been your favorite part

About the NBA so far uh probably just the compe that H going against the the best players every single night um people don’t realize like these are the best players that ever like in the world you know what I’m saying the the top 300 players in the world so just to to play

Go out there and compete every night I mean that’s a that’s a blessing yeah you know speaking of compete one night you’ll see Steph Curry next night is Dev Booker LeBron you know do you have a favorite memory so far from the NBA for the Kings definitely just making the the

Making the playoffs especially cuz it was in a drought before my rookie year was a little bit tough and then uh we had coaching changes to add a couple players and and just just just breaking that streak was definitely the best feeling to seeing all the fans that come

Support um in a small City and a a a a city where the the drought was just so heavy um like everyone was talking about it every year um everyone was talking about it man like it it was tough I mean especially my rookie year saying that we

Ain’t making the playoffs and then the next year we still didn’t make the playoffs and I’m like bro we got to do better and come to come to find out we end up playing The Warriors the best team in the the one of the world champions so it was fun though you know

It’s interesting because you talk about breaking the streak no matter what happens after this you’ll be a part of that team man what does that mean to you man it means a lot I mean I said it in a a podcast before I just want to be a

Part of that journey I want to be a part of just breaking that street I think that’s the reason why I’m here everywhere I went it’s kind of been we’ve been breaking a streak at Baylor it was a streak where they didn’t Won Won National Championship in like 100

Something years it was crazy and then just like my high school my high school never won a championship before but I just always want to be a part of that so no one can take that away from me you win a championship at high school yeah what so high school college you know

What’s next right yeah it got to be man right U what’s been the uh I guess the biggest leap you’ve made in in your game you know in the NBA you think I I think that for me it’s the the mental aspect I think that the the physical is always

Can come and you can always learn how to do something if you work on your game you I’m saying you always going to be able to learn to shoot if you work on your shot it’s little things you can work on at but the mental aspect is the

The tough part especially coming from your rookie year and actually coming from a winning culture from high school from college I went to from Auburn to Baylor I always been winning then I am going to losing and I never had that feeling to to be on the the downside and

I just had to figure it out uh it took a toll on my my mental my body like I was just trying to do everything just to win but you got to you got to lose sometimes to learn you know what I’m saying so that’s what I learned from it and just

Every day you’re not going to have a good game um so just not being mad at the fact that you had a bad game cuz you got so many more games after that you got to worry about so just the mental aspect of the game for sure you know

When I first came to Sacramento this is my fourth season those first two they were rough man I was like man I don’t know about this but you know what we saw last season describe what it was like planed for the Kings last season 48 wins

Third in the west what was that like for you man it was fun um everyone was playing with joy everyone was happy even though we were losing we’re still laughing and that’s the joy of it because we know that we’re going to learn from it we know we did wrong we

Corrected for the next game like instead of just losing everybody harping at each other and like you should do this pointing fingers like that ain’t the right way to they ain’t the right way to do things and I think the coaches did a really good job the organization our

Players we just did a really good job job of staying together stay just in between us like don’t worry about the outside people going to talk if you win or lose it’s not worried about that and just staying inside and just playing for each other and playing for Joy I think

That’s what that was a big a big jump for us yeah what’s been like for you off the court man away from home obviously I know you had done that before going to Baylor and everything like that but now you’re here in Sacramento your third season what’s it been like for you off

The court it’s been amazing man especially cuz I mean Sacramento like everywhere you go it’s like everyone know who you are and it’s a blessing when someone ask for for your autograph like dang like I remember when I was little I was asking for people for

Autographs now I’m in a position to do it and to to make people’s day to make people’s happy and it’s it’s it’s a it’s a blessing just to be able to do that but also for me man off the court I I really don’t do much uh I really just be

At the career working out and watching basketball playing the game I’m a normal person honestly I don’t do I don’t do too much get out here okay anybody all I do is play the game go to the gym and chill with my family now now my mom live

Here so now mom’s out here yeah she live here now so I’m I’m around her most of the time playing games with her but I’m just chilling at the crib for the most part mom be hooking you up with that home cooking at all every now and then

Every now and then every now and then but you know I got I got a chef I got to start eating a littleit healthy so it’s a little bit it’s a little bit different when did you get a chef did it right from the jump or so I had one my rookie

Year um then I then I changed it cuz I I wasn’t really feeling the food they were give or giving I didn’t really like the way she cooked it and my sophomore year I kind of was up and down trying to figure out who who going to be my chef

And then uh now I’m with this company called elevator eats a lot of a lot of of players use it a lot of professional players use it it’s good food and it’s real healthy food so it’s definitely been helping me elevating my game for sure tell me about your game day routine

Let’s say we got a 7:00 game what’s Davon doing uh wake up 6:30 uh lift at 7 78 lift to 7 8 to N I get on the court uh with Jimmy and after that we got we got shoot around usually at 10:30 or 11:

So after that I go to the crib play the game if I’m tired I go to sleep if I’m not I’m playing the game uh just it just depends how I’m I feeling that day really you know domas says naps are mandatory for him are you a nap guy or

Not really it just depends uh I sometimes it’s like when you’re not tired I try to take a nap and I’m just in in bed for 2 hours just trying to figure it out trying to go to sleep and I’m like I’m might be just doing

Something like if I ain’t sleepy so it just depends how I feel um for the most part usually Tire I’m usually tired but even last game though I didn’t take a nap before the game cuz I wasn’t tired so I’m like I’m good So you played a national championship game you won a title but you’ve been on the NBA Playoffs as well describe those two atmospheres for me it was a little different for me in college that’s when Co happened um so it was the end of Co people start coming to games but it

Wasn’t full capacity um but I mean it’s it’s still a big game both games were still huge game still in really important games I feel like game seven definitely the the the biggest game I ever been in um National Championship was big too because of people don’t talk

About people that play that won that that came in second so it was like you always want to win the national championship cuz people always going to talk about that team that won so that was a big game for sure I mean especially with the the Baylor Legacy

The Baylor family like to get that national championship for coach Drew cuz he’s been in a he was kind of in a drought too cuz he was in Baylor for I mean yeah he was at Baylor for like 16 years I think and it’s funny 16 year drw 16 years you ended that

Drive yeah I mean it was good for him just to get it for him now a lot more players going to Bor consider a bayor cuz people are now noticing what they do and how they produce players and how yeah like how basically how they produce

Players as men too yeah yeah I get it I get it you know when you look at the Kings and what they were able to accomplish last season obviously the fan base they were totally it was crazy you know but that was last year take me

Through your summer what are some of the things you wanted to work out you know work on yeah I think that after that playoff um series I know I had to work on my jump shot for sure um to kind of exposed it and I was like man there’s no

Way I can be in this position again and and and not produce and I knew that I had to work on my jump shot so I went to agency oon same same agency as Steph Curry so we end up getting um my agent end up talking to his agent and we end

Up connecting so we end up connecting to his his trainer Brandon pay and and after that like for the most of the summer I was working out with him if if I wasn’t working out with him he was working out with step somewhere he would send me workouts to do that stuff we

Already done before and kind of just being consistent um and then Jimmy came to a couple workouts with Brandon so he he kind of know the same things we’re doing he was stuck to it and we still do it today I mean just kind of just being consistent people think that you’re

Supposed to just the shot is supposed to just automatically happen because it work one summer n it’s like it’s overtime like you got to be consistent maybe it don’t work this year I mean it’s going to work because of the confidence and how much work I put in

Put in but it’s not just going to work like that like I ain’t just going to shoot like Stephen Curry because I worked with his training so so over the years I mean I know I’ll be able to shoot the basketball really well just

Cuz I know how hard I work I know that that he’s he’s teaching me the right things he’s telling me the right things to do he CH tweaked the little things in my shot so I mean it’s been fun time it’s definitely been fun you mentioned

Jimmy Jimmy alifa tell me about him and some of the things you guys did uh during the summer cuz you guys went all over the world together working out yeah Jimmy’s good man he’s he’s kind of like me uh he works extremely hard super competitive he’s always willing to learn

He never was that’s one thing I liked about Jimmy he never was like no I don’t want to do his workouts I want to do my workouts n he always yeah I want to learn because I mean you listen to one of the greatest coaches shooters ever

You know I’m saying so why not want to learn from him so but for me man me and him would kind of like do our same routine I work out in the morning um early in the morning I’ll lift at a certain time during the summer time I

Think I lifted like what time usually at 6:00 usually at 600 I I would lift at 6 6 to 7 6 a.m. yeah yeah 6 6 to 7 I think it was yeah most of the time it was 6 it also just depends where we was um I

Remember we was in Spain we used to work out at six for sure for Spain cuz we had to beat everyone to the gym because people worked out and stuff like that so um six six and seven uh and then after that I’ll lift or it just depends if I’m

On the court first I’ll lift afterwards if not I’ll lift first and then more on the court afterwards but then after that I mean if if it wasn’t like if I didn’t play pickup that day we usually do two workouts we go back at night get some

Extra shots but not too much movement just shots just to I mean just cuz you ain’t really playing no game so you kind of trying to stay a little bit in game shape which is not really possible but you try to do a little bit of something

Just to make you tired you know you talked about some of them pickup runs I know you were down in La too uh how competitive are some of these summer runs that you’re a part of n Roo got the best runs for sure really okay it’s like

That huh he definitely got the best runs I mean everyone goes I mean you you also he know that everyone knows you’re going to be on YouTube so you’re not trying to get killed so you’re going to play hard you know you just don’t want to get embarrassed so but it it’s super

Competitive he got super structure too I like how it’s super structure usually he get people’s teams he don’t just bring just random people it be like like teams like you’ll have a couple players from like the Raptors that come like not the whole team but like but they’ll stay together

Yeah they’ll play together two two three people play together and then two three people play for another team so you kind of can still have a connection with what you going to do in the real game and what you’re going to do but it’s still like pickup basketball people are not

Trying to go block shots if someone a fast break you Ain nobody trying to get hurt but I mean it’s definitely most competitive runs I mean it was fun that was actually my was my first year in him really I think that’s my first year in

Him this was your first year Well my rookie year but I wouldn’t even count my rookie year cuz it was uh I was kind of I had to be back and forth right right right exactly exactly so you know we talked about you know you’ve been to Costa Rica Spain you’re from heinsville

Georgia though you ever imagine you know you would see these kind of sites and be able to travel the world and play in front of thousands and like a young kid from Hinesville you know made it out man and now you’re giving back too I know to

The community too that was definitely a dream um definitely the dream that I came true super blessed that it came true but I mean just seeing other people in my well seeing one other person do it geord McCrae who is’s a really good friend of mine and just seeing him do it

Just seeing how hard he worked cuz when I was little I used to see him in the gym working hard just watching it just uh when I was little like even though I probably don’t even know what’s going on but I’m still in there I still see our

Hardy work and I know man for me to make it I got to work just as hard especially cuz I ain’t 68 like him so I got to work 10 times hard you know what I’m saying I got to people got to know that I can

Play basketball I know that I have an elite level skill that that would translate in NBA game so I had to work super hard I mean just seeing him do it I definitely help me have that confidence to like yo I’m I can make it too you know I’m saying maybe if I

Didn’t see him do it maybe like man I’m from a small City ain’t going to work out you know what I’m saying I’m going have to take another path but seeing him definitely was a blessing You know when I watch you play you know I I obviously see you get after it defensively that’s why you know off night the take me in and through that though like what’s your mindset when you’re having to guard a step or a Booker like you’re really intense when

You’re out there man do you feel that too when you’re out there for sure I mean you always got to be you’re locked in dude I’m telling you always got to be in your P of cues with those guys I mean cuz they’re they’re really good they they played against really good

Defenders before so you try to give them something theyve never seen before try to be more physical try to beat them to the spots I mean cuz a lot the thing about me is that I’m I’m smaller than a lot of the guys in the NBA so I’m also

Quicker laterally see what I’m saying so it’s a little bit different for me and I’m also stronger so it’s a little bit different cuz I can get under them um that’s why I think my legs are strong so I can take the bump I’m fine with it I

Can get through screens cuz I’m strong enough and I’m fast enough so just kind of using my my strengths you know what I’m saying a lot of people say maybe you’re too small but the thing is taller people can’t move as louder as faster you I’m saying so there’s always GNA be

Cons and Pros about it and I’m I’m okay with my defensive my defensive abilities I mean I feel like I’m the best defender in the league so I mean a lot of people know I can guard so that’s that’s all I’m matter really where did that come

From that that that attention to defense and that defens is it somebody you learned from or you just had it I think it’s both I think that um my my abilities my physical abilities help me a lot but also my uncle I have an uncle named Don Mitchell who I’m really close

To who I look up to especially when I was younger I used to follow him everywhere and he couldn’t really play basketball because he uh messed up both his knees you know what I’m saying so but he also like growing up even when two messed up knees and I got better in

Basketball even in high school he would always guard me and like it’d be everybody in the gym he would just be like I got day and he would guard me really well still guard yeah and I’m like bro how do you play defense like this and like I just learned little

Things from him and he he was really good defensive guard like he was really good I think honestly that’s where I got it from but also my physical abilities to to do other stuff so but I think that’s why I got him for sure it’s a different Uncle than the one that’s

Saying the national yeah yeah they Brothers but yeah oh they Brothers okay okay does uh don have singing ability like his brother or no I don’t know if we got like Derek but I mean we all can sing you can sing too I think so in my

Opinion get out of here in my opinion I ain’t going you got anything on tape or anything anything I ain’t like that I’m singing the shower guy all right I was wondering I was about to say I’m about to have you belt down a few notes for me

Uh right here uh you say you’re just a regular guy but what do you do for fun man do you have fun I mean I know you have fun but like what do you do honestly man I think that the fun comes from me getting better at basketball I

Think that me working out make it so fun to me like I don’t have to go to the gym be like man I got to work out cuz I want to be I want to be good the next day no like you know what I’m saying I enjoy it

Like I have fun with it like I want to get better I want to see how good I can be if I take this to another level but also for me also I play video games uh I go bowling me and my mom and Friends my girlfriend we all played board games

Together I’m I’m telling I’m like a regular regular D Man games yeah my family we always play games like your favorite like are you a Monopoly guy that taking like days play no we play this game car scategory scategory is probably my favorite yeah yeah it’s definitely you competitive in that too

Like everywhere everywhere you don’t beat your mom though you I got you she she if I don’t she’ll be mad at me right oh man that that’s hilarious that’s hilarious so I know you got a number of tattoos right any new ink anything that mean uh special meaning to

You uh all of them mean something to me like I don’t just get tattoos just to get them everything means a super meaning I think the the one that probably the the newest one was the the one off night right here right on the inside of the left arm yeah on the left

Arm with the the bear and off night cuz that’s where I got it from is Baylor and then you got the Baylor the Baylor here oh the N champ yeah yeah those are the newest and also y’all know my leg is a little bit new my Spud my my friend Spud

That died in the car accident okay um yeah I got I got a lot of in man see yeah I don’t honestly I don’t know how much I’m going to get more I think that stuff got to happen in life for me to to get more I’m not just going to get it

Just to get it but it depends everything means something it all it all me all means something all right I want to play a game with you this or that you got to choose one or the other right here a game-winning shot M or a game-winning defensive

Stop that’s tough that’s a tough one because I think a gamewinner defensive stop because of who I am and yeah people know who I am so getting that stop would be like a crazy I think people will be more excited if I get that stop than if

I hit a game win CH honestly okay but we all grow up hitting that game-winning shot you we do we do for sure I mean I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to but I think getting that like say I got a defensive stop on like one of the best

Players like Stephen Curry to win the game like I block his sh to throw the ball like I feel like I’ll be more fired up right right I again all right dunking on somebody or picking their pocket ripping him talking on somebody I think yeah talking on somebody I think picking up

Pock you done that before right you banged on somebody I got one body one body in the leag really you remind me I forget who was it crazy uh he was in my draft class name I think it was uson he he played for the rockets at the time he

Played for the Warriors right now oh I remember I remember stay in the gy and keep it keep chopping wood oh he took some Souls oh he took some bodies can we please just get a quick replay crazy cuz I have LA on him I didn’t even

Think I was going to dunk it it was just like I was let me just try this cuz I’m like I had so much space I had a running start I was like let me just try it and I was feeling good I was I just tried it

And I dunked it honestly I didn’t even know I dunked until I seen everyone going crazy I totally remember that one that was your rookie year was that your rookie that was your rookie year we going to pull the tape of that that was a good one Davon Mitchell with an

Education in El that time all right I got uh one more this or that for you quiet night at home I think I know the answer to this quiet night at home or going out friends on the town you know hanging out oh Qui yeah I’m chilling I’m

CH I get it I get it uh last question man what do you hope the future holds for you man whether it’s basketball life whatever I mean honestly for me I was that’s tough I think for basketball just just be the best player I can be um

Also keep working hard no matter what situation you’re in no matter where you are just keep working hard um having that same mindset no matter what no matter if you win so many championships no matter if you become MVP just keep having the same mindset working hard and

I think in life is just for me just keep inspiring people I think that every day that that I Inspire someone I mean especially the smaller people smaller guards that want to play in the NBA you see people text me all the time I’m a

Smaller guard I want to get to the lead but it’s something to keep working hard honestly I mean it ain’t really too much you can do it ain’t it ain’t a blueprint it’s just one thing just keep working hard I will say Davon you’re no doubt an inspiration to obviously young kids even

These kids hanging out behind us man keep doing your thing I got you my gu Mitchell man good luck in the NBA the rest of your season that’ll do it for this edition of King Central everybody dve I’m Mitchell I’m Kyle Draper we’ll see you next time go Kings and light the beam

Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell joins Kyle Draper to discuss his passion for giving back to the community, his defensive mindset, and what games and activities he likes to do during his free time.

#sacramentokings #sacramento #kings #davionmitchell #nba #lightthebeam #Exclusive #Interview #NBCSportsCalifornia

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Kings Central: Davion Mitchell feels blessed to be playing basketball in Sacramento | NBC Sports CA