Donovan Mitchell recognizes Sam Merrill with jersey during NBA 3-point contest

Back on Jan. 21, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell posted a tweet that said, “Good Morning… put Sam Merrill in the 3pt contest” with a GIF of Merrill making his famous 2020 game-winning shot against San Diego State.

The night before, Merrill had scored 18 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks, continuing a breakout season for the fourth-year pro out of Utah State.

On Feb. 5, however, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Mitchell himself would be in the contest.

On Saturday night the contest was held in Indianapolis, and Mitchell wore a special jersey for the occasion in recognition of Merrill.

The jersey was a red Cavs one, but instead of his usual No. 45, Mitchell wore No. 5, Merrill’s number.

The name on the back was also not Mitchell, but instead it said “Money Merrill.”

Mitchell was eliminated in the first round alongside Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen in a competition that Damian Lillard, the former Weber State star now of the Milwaukee Bucks, won for the second year in a row.

Afterward, Mitchell tweeted, “I have failed you,” and he included a crying face emoji and tagged Merrill.

Merrill responded by quoting Mitchell’s tweet and writing, “You made up for it with the dope jersey lol” and tagging Mitchell.

Merrill, the 60th and final pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has played in 37 games for the Cavs this season and is averaging exactly eight points (he is shooting 44.2% from behind the 3-point line), 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15.6 minutes per contest.