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Utah Jazz All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell's Juneteenth post on Instagram elicited vitriolic backlash from fans who said he's got no reason to complain since he's a millionaire playing a sport.
Mitchell later took to Twitter to question why fans only support Black basketball players on the court and not off the floor when they are fighting for equality.
Can’t see how yall can openly cheer for us then when it comes to this be against us so openly!! 🤔
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 20, 2020
The 2019-20 season is scheduled to resume on July 30 in Orlando, Florida. Mitchell and the Jazz will be among the 22 teams partaking in the “bubble” games at Walt Disney World.
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Many NBA players are reportedly not in favor of resuming the 2019-20 NBA season. Guys like Brooklyn Nets superstar point guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley are fearful that basketball will detract the public from the ongoing social and racial justice campaigns taking place across the country in response to the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of white policemen.
Before the season was suspended, Mitchell and the Jazz were in fourth place in the Western Conference standings with a record of 41-23. Mitchell, who made his first All-Star team this season, is averaging 24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Jazz.
Utah has already clinched a playoff spot for the 2020 postseason. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are back on good terms. Mitchell was reportedly upset with Gobert after the two-time Defensive Player of the Year acted recklessly by touching reporters' mics and players' belongings in the Jazz locker room.
Gobert was the first player in the NBA to test positive for COVID-19. Mitchell contracted the virus as well, but both Jazz stars are healthy now.
