Donovan Mitchell Explains The Story Behind His Famous "Spida" Nickname

When sports fanatics think of Donovan Mitchell, they immediately think of his nickname, “Spida.”

Fans call him “Spida” because the name came from the way he moved as a kid on the basketball court. And after his wild Game 4 performance against the Detroit Pistons, the nickname looks even more accurate.

Donovan, whose full name is Donovan Vernell Mitchell Jr., grew up around sports. He is an Elmsford, New York, native who attended Brewster Academy before playing college basketball at Louisville.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star now wears No. 45 in the NBA after entering the league through the 2017 NBA Draft as a first-round pick, per the NBA. However, folks are still interested in his nickname; they want to know why basketball fans have been calling him "Spida."

Donovan said the nickname started when he was 9 years old and playing AAU basketball. During a conversation with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, he said a man named Al gave everyone on the team nicknames.

“His name is AL. This is back when I was 9, he’s from Jersey, I was playing AAU, and he gave everybody a nickname on the team, and he was like, ‘Your name is Spider cuz you spin a web,’” Donovan recalled. “Basically, what I was saying, I move in such a crazy way. And then to say, it stuck.”

The nickname also matches his playing style. Donovan said it fits because of how he moves, his long arms, his bounce, and the way he attacks defenders. Dictionary.com also added “Spida” as a slang entry in 2018, defining it as a nickname tied to Donovan and his high-flying game.

Before Donovan became one of the league’s most prolific scorers, he played both baseball and basketball. He eventually leaned all the way into hoops, starred at Louisville, and entered the NBA as the No. 13 pick in the 2017 draft. The Denver Nuggets drafted him, then traded him to the Utah Jazz. In Utah, Donovan quickly became a franchise player, made multiple All-Star teams, and won the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest.

Another question fans have about Donovan is regarding his shoe size.

"I just learned that Donovan Mitchell wears a size 18 shoe, " one person tweeted. "He’s 6’1 and quarter, without shoes."

The NBA star opened up about the struggle of finding sneakers his size as a young kid, as his shoe size began matching his age at 11.

"It was tough for my mom to find shoes,” Donovan told Deseret. Luckily, his family was friends with the New York Knicks equipment manager, who would send sneakers his way.

“He had boxes upon boxes, so instead of my mom going out and buying stuff, I was wearing Eddy Curry’s shoes at age 13 or 14,” Donovan added. “I understand why he had a plethora of so many shoes because I go through the same thing.”

Now, Donovan has his own line of sneakers with Adidas, making it a full circle moment.