Donovan Mitchell 'officially' joins Spider-Verse after photo with Tobey Maguire

A real-life crossover episode involving Cleveland Cavaliers superstar shooting guard Donovan Mitchell has gone viral. See, Mitchell posted a picture of him and actor Tobey Maguire on his Instagram Story. And despite both coming from different realms as celebrities — Maguire from the world of Hollywood and Mitchell making his name in the sport of basketball — there is a clear connection between the two: Spider-Man.

Maguire’s fame took off when he starred in the 2002 Spider-Man film directed by Sam Raimi. Mitchell, on the other hand, is also known for his nickname “Spida.”

That photo has captured the attention of countless millennials whose childhood days can’t be completely defined without the mention of Maguire’s Spider-Man movies. Donovan Mitchell can count himself as a millennial, as he was born in 1996 and could be one of the millions of kids who saw Maguire in the theatres during the spring of 2022.

Mitchell emerged as a mainstream name over a decade later when he became a star for the Utah Jazz and his Spida persona definitely helped him grow his star to what it is today. It also fits his high-flying ways on the court, as it’s common for him to pull off dunks mere mortals would need a bite from a radioactive spider to emulate.

Mitchell staying in Cleveland for more years

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after a basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic in game seven of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mitchell has a good reason to just relax this summer and hang out with celebrities, as he already finished crossing out one of the items on his offseason priority list, having agreed to a massive three-year extension deal with the Cavaliers worth $150.3 million. Without the extension, the former Louisville Cardinals star would be a free agent by the end of the 2024-25 NBA season. The last year of that deal is a player option, but Cleveland doesn’t have to worry about it — for now.

What matters at the moment is that the Cavaliers have a bigger window with Donovan Mitchell to win their first NBA title since LeBron James and company delivered the Larry O’Brien Trophy to The Land in 2016. Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garlan form the Core Four of Cleveland, which reached the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

The Boston Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers in the second round portion of the 2024 NBA postseason, but Cleveland can be expected to come back stronger in the 2024-25 NBA campaign, with a new head coach in the form of Kenny Atkinson at the helm. A different coach could mean a different result for the Cavs, and hopefully with Atkinson, that change is for the better.

Last season, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs went 48-34 — good for fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.