Louisville brought back former legend for a workout and the videos are awesome

Louisville basketball is quickly becoming one of the best programs in college basketball, thanks in part to Pat Kelsey, who not only turned this program around but also transformed its culture into one of the best in the nation.

Since Kelsey arrived as the Cardinals' head coach, fans have never known who would show up on campus for an offseason workout. Cardinals fans have seen Chucky Hepburn work out with the team all offseason; however, Kelsey just brought back one of the best players in Louisville basketball history, and the fans loved every second of it.

Donovan Mitchell, who holds multiple records for the University of Louisville, was on campus for the Cardinals football matchup against Bowling Green, but made sure to stop by his old practice facility and practice with the Cardinals' 2025-26 roster.

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Louisville basketball legend workouts with current team

The videos from the official basketball social media account showed Mitchell practicing with Mikel Brown Jr. and the team in Louisville Cardinals gear, and the fans loved every second of it. Mitchell was seen in workouts, including box-out drills, as well as scrimmaging and throwing dimes to J'Vonne Hadley.

Mitchell was a 4-star recruit out of high school and was ranked as high as No. 25 in the nation and the No. 7-ranked shooting guard in the 2015 recruiting class. Mitchell was a key piece of the Cardinals' 2016-17 squad when Louisville made it to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed, but ended up being upset in the round of 32 by Michigan.

The former Louisville basketball legend averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from downtown in his sophomore season. He was a first-team All-ACC selection and turned into a lottery pick in 2017, as he was drafted No. 13 by the Denver Nuggets but was traded to the Utah Jazz shortly after.

Now, Mitchell is one of the best players in the NBA, having earned a spot as a six-time NBA All-Star, a record for the most All-Stars by a former Louisville basketball player. He has made two All-NBA teams, including this past season, where he made the All-NBA First-Team after averaging 24 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He finished in the top six in MVP votes twice, as well as being the Rookie of the Year runner-up, NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion, and holds the Cavaliers franchise record for most points scored in a single game with his incredible 71-point performance against the Bulls back in 2023.

Mitchell returning to a Cardinals practice isn't a huge surprise, as he has done it in the past. But, it is clear that this team and the culture Kelsey has built is much different than the past teams. The videos and pictures showed that Mitchell was happy to be back, as he was smiling in many clips and images. However, he was also running hard and was fully invested in the energy that Kelsey's team practices.

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For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason, stay tuned.