Dwyane Wade wishes he was as good as Donovan Mitchell when he was young

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade, who's playing his final year this season, wishes that he was as good as Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz.

Per NBA on ESPN, Wade said after their game with the Jazz:

“I wish I was that good that young. That kid, he's special.”

After the game, the two exchanged jerseys and shared a moment together:

.@DwyaneWade gave props to @spidadmitchell after their jersey swap 🤝 pic.twitter.com/kgg8CuozER

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 3, 2018

The Heat won, 102-100, thanks to late-game free throws by Wade which put his team up by two. The 36-year-old finished with 15 points, eight assists, and three rebounds. Mitchell, for his part, had 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He had a chance to win the game with a 3-pointer, but his shot missed.

Mitchell is playing his second season as a pro after a stellar rookie campaign in which he helped guide the Jazz to a playoff appearance. And over the summer, Mitchell and Wade trained together along with other NBA stars like CJ McCollum and Jimmy Butler:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnDNGdcgcau/?utm_source=ig_embed

Mitchell himself confessed that he wants to pattern his game after the 3-time champion, noting that he has watched a ton of game film featuring Wade. Per NBA.com:

“I’m nowhere close to where I want to be in my career. There are a lot of obstacles to get there. I’ve gotten better. I’ve added a lot to my game. I watch a lot of Dwyane Wade and a lot of Kobe Bryant. D-Wade was in the Finals his third year and he was getting to the free throw line 10 times a game. I got to the free throw line four times a game. And Kobe, you know what he's done. If I want to get to that level, I’ve got to continue to work.”

Mitchell and the Jazz are off to a sluggish start this season at 11-13, but they still have plenty of time to turn things around.