Donovan Mitchell intrigued by bringing attention to social injustice through wine

The Prisoner Wine Company and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell recently partnered on a one-day apprenticeship involving the five-time All-Star.

The company has a focus on social justice and prison reform initiatives, and Mitchell had nothing but good things to say about that.

“For me, I’m trying to be around a brand, be with a brand that symbolizes exactly what I’m about,” Mitchell said. “I think the biggest thing, what intrigues me, is bringing attention to social injustice in the world through wine. I think that’s somethin’ that’s just near and dear to me.”

Mitchell and the company will make a nice donation to honor the day they had together. It will go to the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.

“To honor the day’s experience, Mitchell and The Prisoner will donate $25,000 jointly to the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to quality higher education for incarcerated people,” wrote Aaron Romano of Wine Spectator.

Mitchell has been a strong advocate of social justice during his time in the NBA, and his status as one of the top players in the league certainly gives him a platform he can use to spread his message.

In the future, perhaps Mitchell will look to get more involved in the wine industry — and maybe he’ll find a way to keep honoring social justice in the process.

Right now, he’s preparing for the 2024-25 NBA season, a big one for him and the Cavs. Cleveland took a step in the right direction by winning a playoff series last season, but the team has bigger goals in mind going forward.

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the 2023-24 campaign while earning his fifth straight All-Star selection. He’ll look to remain dominant this coming season and make a strong impression on new Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson, who’s taking over for J.B. Bickerstaff.

The Cavs didn’t make any major roster changes this offseason, so for now, they’re going to need to rely on internal growth and development in order to keep moving toward the ultimate goal of winning an NBA title. The hope for the Cavs likely is that Atkinson will get as much as he possibly can out of Cleveland’s current roster.

Mitchell signed an extension with the Cavs this offseason, so he’s here to stay. As good as he’s been so far during his tenure with the organization, one has to imagine that he won’t be satisfied until he captures an NBA championship.

Cleveland will open its 2024-25 season on Oct. 23 against the Toronto Raptors.