CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Donovan Mitchell is headed back to Utah, as an All-Star starter.
Mitchell received his fourth NBA All-Star selection Thursday evening, but the first time in his career he’s been named a starter.
Mitchell is the first Cavalier to be selected as an All-Star starter since LeBron James in 2018. He is the fourth player in franchise history to be named a starter joining James (10 times), Kyrie Irving (twice) and Shawn Kemp in 1998.
Mitchell is averaging a career-high 28.3 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and a career-high tying 1.49 steals per game. He is also shooting career-highs in field goal percentage (.481), three-point percentage (.396) and free throw percentage (.869) in 41 games this season.
Mitchell, who is in his sixth season, and Golden State’s Stephan Curry are the only players this season averaging at least 25.0 points while shooting .480 from the field with a .390 three-point percentage.
Mitchell also ranks fifth in the NBA this season in three-pointers made with 155 makes from beyond the arc.
Mitchell became the seventh player in NBA history to score at least 70 points in a game when he tallied a franchise-record 71 points during a 145-134 overtime win over Chicago on January 2. It marked the most points scored by any NBA player since Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against Toronto on January 22, 2006.
Mitchell, who has five 40-point games this season, is the first in NBA history to score at least 70 points and hand out at least 10 assists in a game. He finished with 11 assists and eight rebounds in 50 minutes and the 99 points Mitchell scored or assisted on were the second-most ever behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point performance on March 2, 1962. Chamberlin created 104 points.
The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster trade this past offseason.
Mitchell is joined by fellow East starters Irving and Kevin Durant of the Nets, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.
James was selected as an All-Star for the 19th time and is joined out West by Stephen Curry of the Warriors, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Zion Williamson of the Pelicans.
The All-Star reserves will be unveiled February 2 and for the first time teams for the game will be drafted the night of the All-Star Game.
The 72nd All-Star Game will be played in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 19.