As Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for the 2025 NBA playoffs, Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce recognized the star shooting guard’s standout season.
Travis Kelce Commends Donovan Mitchell’s Role in Cleveland Cavaliers’ 64-Win Campaign
After entering the season projected to be a mid-tier Eastern Conference playoff squad, the Cavaliers took the NBA by storm. It finished first in the East (64-18) and second in the league, trailing only the Western Conference-leading OKC Thunder (68-14).
Mitchell spearheaded the Cavaliers’ No. 1-ranked offense (121.0 offensive rating), averaging a team-best 24.0 points per game across 71 appearances. He was one of three players from the team to be selected as an All-Star, alongside point guard Darius Garland and big man Evan Mobley.
As the Cavaliers wait to find out their first-round playoff foe, Mitchell joined “New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce.” The Kelce brothers appeared ecstatic to have the one-time All-NBA selectee on their show, giving him a rousing introduction followed by a round of applause.
In the teaser for the podcast episode, set to release Friday, Travis, a Cleveland native, thanked Mitchell for contributing to his home team’s memorable season.
“As a fellow Clevelander and a Cavs fan since I was a little kid, man, I appreciate you embracing the city and, honestly, taking us to new heights and taking us to the next level, man, because this year, you guys have been absolutely on fire,” Kelce said.
The Cavaliers will host the winner of Friday’s play-in clash between the Miami Heat (37-45) and Atlanta Hawks (40-42) in Round 1 of the postseason. Given their season-long dominance, they are expected to be heavy favorites against either opponent.
Donovan Mitchell Is Fully Healthy Entering 2025 NBA Playoffs
Upon missing Cleveland’s final four regular-season outings due to a left ankle sprain, minor concerns abounded about Mitchell’s playoff status. However, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson alleviated any worries on Thursday, noting that the six-time All-Star was a full participant in practice.
“We did some live stuff today, and he was full go,” Atkinson said. “No restrictions. No take him out of practice. None of that.”
Atkinson added that Mitchell looked “really good” despite his time off, and that everything has gone according to plan regarding the team’s injury management plan.
“Really proud of the plan we had, how we managed guys, how they managed themselves, our performance team, our medical team, it’s such a group effort,” Atkinson said. “There’s a lot of planning that goes into it. Now I feel really relieved. … I think the guys are in a good place, ready to go.”
Thus, it appears Cleveland will be operating at full capacity when it tips off its postseason schedule on Sunday.