| Free agent | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1992-04-07)April 7, 1992 (age 33) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American / Mexican[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | L. G. Pinkston (West Dallas, Texas) | ||||||||||||||
| College | North Texas (2011–2013) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2013: 2nd round, 37th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | →Fort Wayne Mad Ants | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | →Grand Rapids Drive | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Atléticos de San Germán | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Cocodrilos de Caracas | ||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Guangxi Rhinos | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Maccabi Haifa | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Star Hotshots | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Metros de Santiago | ||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Cocodrilos de Caracas | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Fubon Braves | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | NLEX Road Warriors | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Metros de Santiago | ||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Leones de Ponce | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Pueblo Nuevo Básquet | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Club Rafael Barias | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Libertadores de Querétaro | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Gladiadores de Anzoátegui | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Club Trouville | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Indomables de Ciudad Juárez | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Urunday Universitario | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Maccabi Haifa | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Al-Naft SC | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Cocodrilos de Caracas | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | New Taipei Kings | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
| |||||||||||||||
Tony LaShae Mitchell Jr.[2] (born April 7, 1992) is an American professionalbasketball player. He competed in college forNorth Texas.[3] Mitchell is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), weighs 235 pounds and plays thepower forward position.[4] Mitchell was selected in the2013 NBA draft in the second round (37th pick overall).
Mitchell played three years of prep basketball.[5] For his career, he posted over 1,500points and 700rebounds.[5] As asenior atL. G. Pinkston High School he averaged 20.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 4.4assists and 4.1blocks per game while leading his school to a 26–10 record and a berth in the Class 4A Region II Tournament.[6] In one playoff game againstLincoln High School he recorded 25 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in anovertime win.[6] Mitchell was ranked as the #12 overall senior recruit in the class of 2010 byRivals.com.[6][7] His accolades also included being named the 2010Dallas Morning News Player of the Year – beating outPerry Jones III, a future first round NBA Draft pick out ofBaylor; aSLAM Magazine All-American; Texas' 12-4A Player of the Year; Texas Class 4A All-State selection; and being chosen to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star Team.[5][6]
Mitchell attended a public high school in Atlanta (Dutchtown High School) for hisfreshman year then in Dallas sophomore years, but under the advice of hisAmateur Athletic Union basketball coach he transferred to Center of Life Christian Academy (CLCA) in Miami.[7] What he did not realize until the latter portion of hisjunior year there, however, was that CLCA was not an accredited prep school, and therefore only a fraction of his coursework counted towardNCAA eligibility.[7] Mitchell transferred back home to Pinkston to finish his prep career.[7] To make up for lost time at CLCA, he attempted to take make-up classes at a faster rate than the school district allowed.[7] After an investigation into his course load, and upon discovering Mitchell's attempted expedition of his graduation requirements, his transcript got invalidated and his high school graduation was postponed while he struggled with Texas' exit test.[7]
Mitchell had already committed to play for theMissouri Tigers while these issues unfolded.[7] Forced to stay at home in Dallas for the entire first semester of what would have been his freshman year playing for Missouri, it was not until the start of the second semester when he found out that he would never be allowed to suit up for the Tigers.[7] Mitchell then had to choose one of two routes: either playjunior college basketball for two seasons, or play for a different four-year institution as a partial qualifier.[7] He chose to play as a partial qualifier forNorth Texas, the localDivision I school whose coach,Johnny Jones, had aggressively recruited him during his high school years.[7]
After sitting out the2010–11 season due to his eligibility issues, Mitchell officially began his collegiate career as aredshirt freshman in2011–12.[6][7] He quickly established himself as a premier player in both the Sun Belt Conference as well as nationally; Mitchell was named byCBS Sports as one of the "top 10 freshmen in the country" and their third-best "under the radar" player after averaging 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.[6] Along withKentucky'sAnthony Davis, he was one of only two freshmen in NCAA Division I to average adouble-double (Davis was also that season's national player of the year and thefirst overall draft pick in theensuing NBA draft).[6][8] Among freshmen, only Davis' 10.4 rebounds per game average exceeded Mitchell's.[6] He set school records for single season blocks (70) and blocks per game (3.04), while his single game top scoring and rebounding performances were 34 and 21, respectively.[6] Despite the team not qualifying for any postseason tournaments, Mitchell still received awards and honors for his personal play. He became just the second player in league history to earn three consecutive Sun Belt Player of the Week awards while also becoming just the third player to be named the league's freshman of the year and earn a first team all-conference selection simultaneously.[6] Mitchell was named to the All-2012 Sun Belt Conference tournament team after leading the Mean Green to the championship game before losing toWestern Kentucky, 74 to 70.[6] According to his North Texas player page, "In league-only games, Mitchell led the Sun Belt in scoring (15.9 ppg), rebounding (11.8 rpg), 3-point percentage (47.1), blocks (3.1 bpg), and was also second in field goal percentage (58.1)."[6] Mitchell had numerous 30-point, 15-rebound games during the season and became the first freshman sinceKansas State'sMichael Beasley in2007–08 to record multiple 30/15 games.[6] For his standout season, he was named a finalist for theLou Henson Award, an annual college basketball award given to the nation's bestmid-major player.[6]
Heading into his sophomore season in2012–13, national media had their eyes on Mitchell as a potentialAll-American.[9] He had been a projected first round draft pick in the2012 NBA draft following his freshman season,[10] but opted to remain at North Texas because he said he "still needed to mature on and off the court."[10] Some of the preseason watchlists and honors that Mitchell received included being an All-American according to numerous media outlets; aJohn Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 player; being featured on the October cover ofBasketball Times; Lindy's number two rankedcenter in college basketball; and CBS Sports' number seven overall player in the country.[6] He was listed as a "near guarantee" to be named the 2013Sun Belt Player of the Year according to CBS Sports.[11] An anonymous Sun Belt coach said of Mitchell: "[He] is the most athletic guy in college basketball, bar none. Rebounds as good as anyone. He's a freak."[11]
Mitchell's per-game averages lowered in four of the five major statistical categories from his freshman season: 13.0 points (down from 14.7), 8.5 rebounds (down from 10.3), 0.8 assists (down from 1.6), and 2.7 blocks (down from 3.0).[12] Only his steals per game average increased, going from 0.9 as a freshman to 1.0 in his second year.[12] Additionally, the North Texas squad managed just a 12–20 overall record (7–13 in conference) after being selected as the preseason Sun Belt Conference champions.[13] Midway through the season,Bleacher Report wrote an article which questioned Mitchell's ability to lead a team, noting that a player of his caliber should have been a bigger factor in games played in a mid-major conference.[9] The article also said that his All-American candidacy took a severe blow, and that his per game averages would be more impressive if he played for a stronger Division I program.[9]
With a college postseason invitation not occurring, Mitchell decided to be the first underclassman to declare for the2013 NBA draft. He was the first North Texas player to be drafted in the NBA since theDallas Mavericks drafted John Horrocks in1984.[14] Mitchell was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 37th overall pick in the draft. He was also the highest North Texas player to be drafted in the NBA, ahead ofKenneth Lyons in1983 (47th overall).[14] On July 19, 2013, he signed with the Pistons.[15] When the 2013 rookie class convened for its annual photo shoot and filled out its NBA.com Rookie Survey, the class voted Mitchell as the most athletic.[16]
On December 26, 2013, Mitchell was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.[17] On January 13, 2014, he was recalled by the Pistons.[18] On January 31, 2014, he was reassigned to the Mad Ants.[19] He was later recalled in February 2014. While not making an appearance for the Pistons in the 2014–15 season, Mitchell was assigned multiple times to theGrand Rapids Drive.[20]
On December 24, 2014, he was traded to thePhoenix Suns in exchange forAnthony Tolliver.[21] However, he was later waived by the Suns on January 9, 2015, before appearing in a game for them.[22]
On February 5, 2015, Mitchell signed withAtléticos de San Germán of Puerto Rico for the 2015BSN season.[23]
On September 25, 2015, Mitchell signed with theGolden State Warriors.[24] However, he was waived by the Warriors on October 12.[25] On December 11, he signed withCocodrilos de Caracas of theVenezuelan League.[26]
On July 2, 2016, Mitchell signed with theGuangxi Rhinos of theChina NBL.
On August 9, 2016, Mitchell signed with Israeli clubMaccabi Haifa for the 2016–17 season.[27] On February 10, 2017, he was released by Maccabi after appearing in 17 games.[28]
On late February 2017, Mitchell signed with theStar Hotshots of thePhilippine Basketball Association as the team's import for the2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup.[29]
On May 24, 2017, Mitchell signed withMetros de Santiago of Dominican Republic for the 2017LNB season.[30]
On February 22, 2018, Mitchell returned for a second stint in Israel, signing withHapoel Gilboa Galil for the rest of the season.[31] However, on March 7, 2018, Mitchell was released by Gilboa Galil before appearing in a game for them.[32]
On May 8, 2018, Mitchell was reported to have returned and signed withCocodrilos de Caracas of theLiga Profesional de Baloncesto (LPB).[33]
On August 4, 2018, Mitchell was reported to have signed with Al Wasl of theUAE National Basketball League.[34]
In April 2019, Mitchell signed with theNLEX Road Warriors of thePhilippine Basketball Association as the team's import for the2019 PBA Commissioner's Cup.[35]
On September 28, 2020, Mitchell signed with theLeones de Ponce of theBaloncesto Superior Nacional.[36]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Detroit | 21 | 0 | 3.8 | .417 | 1.000 | .579 | 1.2 | .1 | .3 | .2 | 1.0 |
| Career | 21 | 0 | 3.8 | .417 | 1.000 | .579 | 1.2 | .1 | .3 | .2 | 1.0 |
Mitchell was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but grew up in Dallas, Texas.[5] His parents are Angie L. Mitchell and Tony L. Mitchell Sr., and he has a younger brother, Antonio and younger sister, Adriana.[5]
