Donovan Mitchell Reveals How He Earned The "Spida" Nickname

Mitchell gives detailed look at his Dunk Contest Dame 4s and reveals origins of "Spida" nickname.

BYKyle Rooney
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Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

Utah Jazz rookie guard Donovan Mitchell has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young stars in the NBA, which certainly isn't a surprise to his peers who voted him the "Biggest Steal of the Draft" after being selected 13th overall.

As part of Mitchell's rise, he has become the subject of a new short-form digital docu-series called “Rookie On The Rise” which first premiered on Young Hollywood in early April. The series includes 15 episodes, each 2-5 minutes in length, featuring behind-the-scenes moments with the 2018 Slam Dunk champ.

"Rookie On The Rise" follows Mitchell's climb to national stardom, his interactions with family and friends, his first All-Star Weekend experience and more, offering fans a never-before-seen look at the 21-year old star whose incredible season has him in the Rookie of the Year race.

In the 11th episode of the series, Mitchell shares a detailed look at the special edition Adidas Dame 4 that he wore during the Dunk Contest, and revealed how he earned his nickname. As it turns out, a former teammate's dad called Donovan "Spida" as a kid and it just stuck ever since.

Check out the footage below and tune in to Game 2 tomorrow night (8:00pm ET) as Mitchell and the Jazz look to even up their series with the Houston Rockets.


Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell Reveals How He Earned The "Spida" Nickname
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<b>Sports &amp; Sneakers Writer</b> <!--BR--> New York born and raised. Long-suffering Knicks, Mets &amp; Jets fan who fell in love with sneakers when Allen Iverson laced up the 11s at Georgetown. Commissioner of one of the premier fantasy football leagues in the USA.