Donovan Mitchell saw an open lane to the basket and took flight. Arm cocked back. Head near the rim. A guttural scream when the highlight-reel moment was over.
It was something Utah Jazz fans had seen many times before from the former Slam Dunk champ.
It was something they’ll see increasingly less in the future.
At the ripe age of 24, Mitchell jokes that he’s gotten old to dunk the basketball the way he once did. In reality, he’s just wise beyond his years.
“As you start to play the minutes I’ve been playing, and you start to play into the playoffs, you learn something that all vets will tell you which is to save your legs,” Mitchell said.