Donovan Mitchell Reveals When He Knew Cavaliers Had ‘Special’ Team: ‘That’s When I Was Like Okay, We Got Something Special For Sure’

During an interview with NBA reporter Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Donovan Mitchell spoke about his Cleveland Cavaliers, who are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

The Cavaliers begin their pursuit of an NBA championship Sunday when they take on the Miami Heat in the first round of the postseason. 

Spears asked Mitchell when he knew the Cavaliers were a “special” team and the shooting guard didn’t mince words. 

“I want to say the Golden State game at home,” Mitchell said. “When we beat Golden State at home after being up 40… And then the West road trip going 4-0. Denver, Golden State, [Los Angeles] Lakers, Dallas. We beat Denver. We’re handling business. It’s close games. It’s blowouts. It’s so many different ways to win. It’s come-from-behind. That’s when I was like, ‘Okay, we got something special for sure.'”

The Cavaliers went 64-18 in the regular season. They were first in the NBA in points per game and offensive rating under first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson. 

Mitchell is looking to win his first title in the NBA. The All-Star told Spears he is “hungry” to reach the promised land. 

“It makes you hungry. It tests how much you are willing to sacrifice to win,” Mitchell said. “That’s really what it comes down to. This season, Kenny challenges me on that. I’ve been a high-usage guy. I’ve been a guy willing to take a step back and allow guys to grow. I always say you don’t necessarily see the fruits or whatever you’re doing right away in life. But for it to happen this way is great. It definitely fuels you. It doesn’t pain me. It seems to be worth it.”

Mitchell averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the regular season. He shot 44.3% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 82.3% from the free-throw line. 

“I’ve been to the conference finals. I can use it as fuel, but then you got to go out there and produce a win,” Mitchell said. “To shut them [critics] up, you got to go out there and win. So that’s the main goal, and I will do it by any means necessary. It doesn’t mean I have to go out and score 40 points every night. I’ve got to make the guys around me better.”