Donovan Mitchell reveals Mets’ Max Scherzer’s 1-on-1 basketball challenge

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has accepted a challenge from New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer for a one-on-one basketball game.

A lifelong Mets fan, Donovan Mitchell revealed in an interview on a Twitch stream for MLB The Show 23 that Scherzer told the Cavs star during the last MLB season that he wanted to face him on the basketball court.

“I went to the locker room last year and Mad Max said that he wanted to play me in pickup at some point in time,” Mitchell said. “So I told him we might have to make that happen. 

“I guess the guys play and whatnot throughout the season, and they told me that if I was ever free to come on by. So, Max, this is me accepting that challenge. I’ll be there at some point this summer so we can get to it.”

Scherzer stands at 6’3”, giving him two inches on Mitchell. Needless to say, that’s likely where Scherzer’s list of advantages over the NBA star ends. 

The Cavs star guard grew up a Mets fan because his father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., is an executive for the MLB franchise. Mitchell has been very public in his support for the Mets, often tweeting about the team, including when the club signed Scherzer as a free agent in 2021 to a massive three-year, $130 million contract.

Mitchell’s ties to the Big Apple were part of the reason why the four-time All-Star was often linked to the New York Knicks during his time with the Utah Jazz. The Knicks were viewed as the favorites to trade for Mitchell last summer, but ultimately it was the Cavs who met Utah’s asking price. 

In his first season with the Cavs, Mitchell was named as one of the five starters on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.