Brown and Mitchell putting friendship on pause for C’s-Cavs series originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell have a close relationship off the court, but don’t expect them to play well when the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Mitchell clarify this record on Sunday when asked about his friendship with Brown and fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
“I stopped talking to them when the possibility of playing them came up,” the Cavs All-Star told reporters. “But it’s all competition and I expect nothing but the best from them and vice versa.
“We have to go out there and take care of business in a hostile environment, but it’s always good to play against friends, compete against friends, and I know it’s going to be tough. I’m excited.”
Brown bluntly echoed Mitchell’s sentiments when speaking to reporters on Monday.
“There are no friends in the playoffs,” he said.
Mitchell has been close with Brown and Tatum since high school. The trio played together on the US team at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. In 2020, in the NBA bubble, Mitchell and Brown I exchanged friendly barbs in a series of humorous social media posts.
Brown posterized Mitchell with a thunderous dunk last season and I trolled him later. Mitchell had the last laugh, however, as the Cavs beat the C’s in overtime behind his 41-point performance.
Although their friendship has only grown over the years, Mitchell and Brown will have their hands full when the Celtics-Cavs series begins on Tuesday night. Game 1 at TD Garden is set for 7pm ET, with coverage beginning at 6pm on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics pregame live.
