Gift lInk: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7256473/2026/05/07/ajay-mitchell-thunder-father-barry-nba-playoffs/

> OKLAHOMA CITY — Deep into the night of Dec. 18, Ajay Mitchell’s boyish smile broke.
His composure grew fragile. Grief gnawed at him. Once the point guard retired from running offense that night and the adrenaline of an Oklahoma City Thunder win waned, he plopped down in a film session beside his teammates.
Mitchell imagined what his father might’ve said that night. The jokes, the affection.

>Mentally, he’s never shaken,” reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s never afraid of the moment. Ajay could be having the worst day ever, and you would never know. He’s so solid.”
His teammates were with him on his worst day. They’ve witnessed the resilience since. The months it took to face such loss and portray stability. The time involved in finding some semblance of peace. To find composure all over again.
Every so often, Barry’s words reverberate in his head. Ajay closes his eyes and sifts through them.
“He’d always say, ‘You’re gonna be you. You’re not gonna be a second version of me,’” Ajay said. “It’s finding that right balance of honoring my dad, but also becoming the player I am, not the player he was. You’re kind of building your own legacy.