“It was important for me to have an underdog mentality, including the NBA”

Born in Anse (Belgium) while his father Barry Mitchell, former CBA MVP in 1992, was playing there, Ajay Mitchell takes a solid spot in the sun in his second NBA season.

The full-back took his chance with both hands within the reigning champions. An aggressive defender, comfortable with the ball in hand, capable of creating his own shot as well as forcing others to play, he stands out as one of Sam Presti’s latest discoveries. As a fish to water in the Thunder’s system, his playing time is increasing.

In 25 minutes, he averages almost 14 points and 4 assists per game. Marc Daigneault is entrusting him with more and more responsibility up front to help MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Star Jalen Williams.

We took advantage of the Thunder’s visit to Golden State on January 2 and their big win (131-94) to talk to Ajay Mitchell about his journey, a long injury during his first season, and his memories of Victor Vembanyama, who he played with as a junior, on the Nanterre side.

“The NBA, in Belgium, was a dream… and then it became a goal”

Growing up in Belgium, when did you tell yourself that the NBA was an attainable goal?

When I was in Belgium, it was always a dream. And then when I got to college in the United States, that became the goal. That’s when it clicked for me. I thought, ‘OK, now there’s definitely a chance.’ You have to give it your all and not complain. My mentality, coming to the USA, was: give everything and become a better player, and we’ll see what happens. I was lucky enough to get drafted and be in the NBA, so it’s a pretty crazy experience.

Did you have any other choice but UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) when you arrived in the United States?

Yes, I had several options: Davidson, UNC Greensboro and UC Santa Barbara were in my Top 3. For me, Santa Barbara was, on the one hand, life there: when I saw the campus, it was pretty crazy. And then my mom really wanted me to go to a good school, so that was important. It was obviously important to see the squad and the opportunities I had from the start. That’s why I made this choice.

There are other players on your team, most notably Jalen Williams, who have played at intermediate levels like UCSB. What did it bring you compared to a more prestigious university?

Many more basketball opportunities already. The opportunity to play more, to be a bit of a team leader. I’m not sure that would have been possible anywhere else, especially during my first two years. And then, in mid-major, you always have that underdog mentality. It was important for me to have him, including when I got to the NBA. You were selected in the second round, it’s the same: you want to prove that you have the level of those who went to the biggest universities.

When you got to Oklahoma City, you were able to find a place for yourself before the injury. As an observer, has this period changed the way you look at the game?

Exactly. When we found out that I would be away for a few months, there was obviously disappointment. But after a few days I told myself: this will be a blessing in disguise. It will give me a chance to grow. First, to work on my body. We had a lot of time to prepare it, to work on areas for improvement. And then, you watch so many matches on the sidelines, so many videos… Having all these opportunities in the middle of the season, I think it helped me prepare and come back stronger. So yeah, that really helped me.

“What was different about Victor Wembanyama, and still is, is his mentality. He is a killer”

How did you deal with not being able to immediately apply what you saw? And how did that affect your offseason?

It must be difficult. As soon as I could play again, right before the playoffs, I had a huge desire to play. But the offseason was mostly good news for me: I was finally able to work on my game and prepare for the second season. It was hard, but it was a blessing in disguise.

For your first playoff, you end up a champion. How would you describe this experience?

Like a childhood dream. Just being able to experience that moment… And I think that helped me too, because you see what you have to do to be at that level, the mentality you have to have every day. Each series is different, so you have to turn the page of each game and win four games before the other team. We had Denver who was a big team, Minnesota, Indiana in the finals who were very strong… All these experiences allowed me to learn what the playoffs are and what the level is like. For me it was just a bonus, just a positive.

In your youth, you were teammates with Victor Vembanyama in Nanterre. At the time, could you have imagined that he would become that type of player?

Of course, it was obvious. He was 15 years old. He has already trained with professionals. What he did against the pros was crazy. Even playing with it was pretty easy: you’ve seen things before. But what was different about him, and still is, is his mentality. He is a murderer. And that, I think, helps him a lot.

Why are Spurs giving you so much trouble this season?

Because I think it’s a very good team. They have a very good team, they play the right way and they are physical like us. It was a big test for us, a good lesson. This is a team that will continue to develop. And we want to continue to develop… and beat them.

Comments collected in San Francisco.

How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.