SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they will honor the late Mike Mitchell on Wednesday, Jan. 4 vs. Golden State. Mitchell, who was a member of the Spurs from 1981-88, passed away at the age of 55 on June 9, 2011 after a long battle with cancer.
At halftime the Spurs will honor Mitchell during a special presentation. Representing Mitchell will be his wife Diana Mitchell, son Michael Mitchell, Jr. and daughter Kiah Mitchell-Scott. Former Spurs Head Coach and General Manager Bob Bass and current Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford will share some highlights from Mitchell’s career with the Silver and Black.
Mitchell joined the Spurs on Dec. 24, 1981, along with Roger Phegley, in a Christmas Eve trade with Cleveland that sent Reggie Johnson and Ron Brewer to the Cavaliers. In 488 games with the Spurs, he averaged 20.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Mitchell helped guide San Antonio to the playoffs six times, including back-to-back Midwest Division titles in 1982 and 1983. His 9,799 points rank fifth on the Spurs all-time scoring list and his 20.1 points per game scoring average is fifth among Spurs career leaders. During the 1984-85 season, Mitchell averaged 22.2 points per game, breaking a streak of eight straight seasons in which George Gervin led the team in scoring.
Mitchell’s most memorable moments as a Spur came in the 1982 and 1983 Western Conference Finals against the L.A. Lakers. He averaged 25.7 and 8.3 rebounds in the 1982 West finals, when the Spurs were swept 4-0. In 1983, Mitchell would average 25.6 points and 10.3 rebounds in a 4-2 series loss to the Lakers.
For his career, Mitchell played 10 NBA seasons with the Spurs and Cavs, averaging 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. After his NBA days were over Mitchell continued to play overseas. Overall, Mitchell played 22 years in his professional career.
Fans attending tomorrow night’s game will receive a commemorative Mike Mitchell placard upon entering the AT&T Center.