One of the reasons why Cleveland Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell re-signed in 2024 may or may not surprise you, depending on how you feel about the food in Cleveland. Mitchell agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million extension ahead of the 2024-25 season. The re-signing secured one of the Cavs’ pillars for their championship window.
Mitchell says one of the reasons he decided to stay with the Cavs long-term was because of the city’s food scene, he said, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
“I talk about the basketball stuff, but part of it is why I re-signed here,” Mitchell said. “When you have a team that, and it’s not BS food either, it’s like top of the top chefs making it in front of you, and it’s like gluten-free, dairy-free, all the right stuff … when you have a team that believes in nutrition as much as they believe in medical, and what you do on the floor, I think it shows the mindset of an organization.
“That’s what stood out for me, like, it costs a lot, but this is an organization that’s willing to do that for its players. I talk to guys all over the league … and I don’t know of anyone else that does what we do.”
Mitchell and the Cavs will look to bounce back from their 127-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Donovan Mitchell’s take on NBA’s 65-game rule
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell discussed the NBA’s 65-game rule, which permits players from qualifying for regular-season awards such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year. Any player who doesn’t play in at least 65 regular-season games cannot qualify.
Due to injuries, the rule has limited players’ ability to reach career milestones, as Mitchell recently addressed, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.
“It’s for the right reasons, but it’s tough,” Mitchell said. “We get paid money to be out there, but there’s certain things you can’t control. It’s not like guys are resting and missing these games. These are legitimate injuries, so it’s something to look at for sure because there’s no way certain guys should be in this scenario.”
He also acknowledged that “I missed out on it two years ago, so I’m biased to say there shouldn’t be [a rule].”
The 65-game rule was originally implemented to curb the load-management trend that had started to plague the league in recent years.