Donovan Mitchell adidas Sneaker Launch & New York Court Dedication for Young Athletes

Image Credit: adidas

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell released his newest adidas basketball signature sneaker, D.O.N. Issue #3 Playground Hoops. The new silhouette focuses on growing up in New York and his memories playing on outdoor courts while paying tribute to his grandmother and the community center where she worked.

Mitchell and adidas basketball launched the new sneaker at The Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, NY as part of a special ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony where Mitchell and his family refurbished the outdoor basketball courts and planted a garden in honor of his Grandmother, Blossom Wright, who passed in 2020.

“Giving back to the community is one of my main focuses and the fact that I can do this to honor my grandma is really special,” said Mitchell. “The colorways of my shoes are a reflection of my story and what inspires me. For everything to come together the way it has makes this launch even more special.”

Image Credit: adidas

Nicole Mitchell, Donovan’s mother, spent most of her childhood in the faculty housing portion of The Children’s Village. She now manages SPIDACARES, which is Donovan’s foundation, focused on giving back to families. That firsthand experience inspired her to make an impact on The Children’s Village community by renovating the courts.

Working with local artists, the Mitchell family spent time together designing and painting the courts. The private ribbon cutting ceremony for the community took place on Friday, July 9 as part of the shoe release.

“We are so appreciative that the Mitchell family and adidas Basketball are taking time to give back to the young people we serve,” said Jamila Baucom, Vice President for Advancement at The Children’s Village. “They have shown incredible kindness and commitment to positively impact families and communities through education and athletics, which is completely aligned with the work we do here at The Children’s Village. Our young people are so happy to have these incredibly beautiful and meaningful courts to call their own. Thank you to all who helped make this a reality!”

With a focus on the outdoor basketball court community, Mitchell is excited to be helping the next generation of athletes with the refurbishment of the three outdoor courts at The Children’s Village Dobbs Ferry. Playground Hoops is the leading colorway of his new shoe, and The Children’s Village court designs are a combination of Panamanian inspired Mola artwork (Mitchell’s mother’s heritage) mixed with color palettes and designs from the Playground Hoops colorway. The Playground Hoops colorway is intended to pay homage to the courts that Mitchell hooped on growing up, with cross streets imbedded into the Playground Hoops artwork and a custom D.O.N. Issue #3 shoebox.

Each new colorway of D.O.N. Issue #3 will celebrate Mitchell and moments in his youth.

The D.O.N. Issue #3 ($110) drops at adidas.com on July 9.