BOSTON â As Donovan Mitchell and I chatted in the visitors’ locker room at TD Garden Wednesday night, Game 5 of the World Series was playing on one of his phones on the bench beside him.
As the Cavaliers‘ unquestioned leader both on the court and emotionally, his main task is getting the club back on the horse after an extraordinary 2024-25 regular season turned to dust at the hands of injuries and some guys from Indiana on a roll. But he’ll still find time for baseball. It’s in his blood. His father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., was a minor league player, coach and manager who, since 1999, has worked in the Mets’ organization — his latest role as director of player relations.
His affinity for the Flushing Meadows Nine made for an even rougher summer. After the Cavs dissolved, the Mets had a fairly epic collapse, spending much of the summer in first place in the NL East before stumbling to a whopping 13 games behind Philadelphia and missing the playoffs.
I was told, however, that Mitchell’s disappointment was strongly tempered by the fact the Yankees got eliminated.
“One thousand percent,” he said. “As long as they’re out, too, I’m not really upset. The Phillies out, too? It’s a great thing.”
Glancing down at his phone, Mitchell added, “Toronto’s handling business, so at least there’s happiness somewhere.”
Donovan Mitchell Hates the Yankees, but He Doesn’t Have Any Love for Boston Either
Though in light of the Cavaliers’ 125-105 loss to the Celtics moments earlier, Mitchell wasn’t predisposed to positive Bostonian feelings, the mutual sporting hatred of the Yankees would seem to bring him into the fold.
But before anyone could start a “One of us!” chant — actually someone did quietly — a smiling Mitchell blocked the shot.
“Oh, I don’t like the Red Sox either,” he said. “I’m from New York. I can’t like Boston. The kid in me will always have that. But on the Yankees? We definitely have that in common.”
‘This Isn’t Last Year. This Is a Whole New Season
Back in basketball, he and Boston have something in common, as well — though it was more of a thing last season when the Cavs and Celts were fighting for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The C’s finished three games behind Cleveland but 10 games in front of third seed New York.
Despite Wednesday’s result, their competitive vibe is rather different this year, with the Celtics in something of a gap year due to Jayson Tatum’s Achilles’ recovery and the trading of key players to escape the wrath of the second apron.
The Cavs, winners thrice in their first five games, are simply trying to get it together physically and mentally with their eyes on the longer term. They won their first 15 games last season and had subsequent streaks of 12 and 16 straight.
For his part, Mitchell is trying to make sure his lads don’t get caught trying to recreate that kind of magic that ultimately meant little when they were being bounced at home in Game 5 against the Pacers.
“I personally don’t think like that, and I’ve told the guys, ‘This isn’t last year. This is a whole new season,’” said the six-time All-Star. “Teams are different. We’re different. Injuries happen. Like, this is not last year.
“In a sense, I’m happy we lost our first game (opening night in New York) and got that out of the way. Last year 15-0 was a whole thing. Like, that’s not reality. This is the reality of the NBA. Guys are going to be down. We’re going to be in situations. How do we figure out to do the little things when we get to the playoffs? That’s what this is about. This is a great learning lesson for us, right? Brooklyn was a great win. Milwaukee was a great win. Detroit was a great win. There’s a lot of learning lessons in this.
“We’ve got the talent, and when we get whole, we’ll get right. So it’s not about that; it’s about learning each thing each night, and obviously you want to learn through wins and put yourself in the best position. But, hey, we’re shorthanded and weâve got to figure it out as a group.”
Mitchell Says the New Season Presents a ‘Different Challenge
To Mitchell, 2025-26 isn’t just a new page; it’s a different book in a different library.
“It presents a different challenge,” he told Heavy. “It presents a challenge of every night progressing, you know what I mean? It’s not about 15 in a row. It’s not about 12 in a row. It’s about, how do we progress and get ready for the playoffs and win these games ideally as we’re learning? I don’t think we’re coming in here like, oh, whatever. I think the mindset is like, hey, these are ways to get better, and let’s get better through wins. Because we have a lot we can work on and get better.”
The Cavaliers do certainly have the pieces to compete for a championship. And if they don’t reach their potential, Donovan Mitchell knows there’s no amount of Yankee failure that will soothe the pain.
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