LEGENDARY NAME RETURNS TO ROLLERS
A LEGENDARY name has returned to the halls of Carrara Stadium for the Gold Coast Rollers.
The team’s latest import, Donovan Mitchell, is carrying on the legacy of his father, Mike Mitchell, who starred for the team during their bumper NBL stint throughout the 90s.
Donovan (known as DJ) arrived in Australia just last week, having spent time honing his skills in the US College system at Forest Point and Santa Clara, as well as the BXT League in Europe.
Despite battling jetlag, the 25year-old found himself lacing up the boots for the Rollers less than 48 hours after touching down in the country.
In a nailbiting clash against cross town rivals the Seahawks, DJ turned in 10 points and seven rebounds in the final quarter, helping push his team over the line in a seven-point win.
“My body was still getting back under itself, my legs were dead after the first half – but it was just good to get out there and start playing,” DJ said of his debut.
“It’s also just nice to be here – I love it here on the Gold Coast … I’ve only been back for a week but it’s been great.”
Moving to Australia marks the start of an exciting chapter of DJ’S career, with the young forward signing with the Brisbane Bullets for the 2022/23 NBL season off the back of a strong showing in the Netherlands playing for the Basketball Academie Limburg.
“It’s been really good looking back and seeing how my game has changed and developed,” he said.
“College in particularly was a big opportunity for me to mature and learn who I was as a player.”
While another Donovan taking to the court has stirred excitement among Rollers fans, DJ says he’s determined to be his own player … albeit a better one than his dad.
“It’ll be fun to beat his records,” he laughed.
“At the end of the day I’m my own player … I’m better than him though, so it’s not that big of a deal.”
The Rollers currently sit atop of the NBL1 North Conference league standings, off the back of a four-game undefeated hot-streak to start their season.
With a cult following and strong history in the top tier of Australian basketball, calls have grown louder in recent months for the team to be promoted to the NBL proper.
“We’ve got a great roster, some exciting juniors coming through the ranks … it’s a great time for basketball on the Gold Coast,” said entertainment guru Billy Cross, who signed on his company Cross Promotions to help the Queensland Basketball League drive marketing, sponsorship and promotion in 2017.
“As the NBL grows there’s a chance for the Gold Coast to be a part of that … the Gold Coast is a different place to ten years ago, the growth is huge.
DJ agreed with Cross, noting the pristine location was appealing to potential players.
“The Gold Coast would be the perfect spot to have a team … in the next couple of years if they got the logistics sorted out it’d be a nice spot,” Mitchell said.