Donovan Mitchell Reacts to Knicks Chants in Cleveland During Game 3
Despite a hard-fought night at Rocket Arena, the outcome remained the same for the Cleveland Cavaliers. While many may have expected the New York Knicks to face adversity playing on the road, that clearly wasn't the case. And for former Knicks fan Donovan Mitchell, the scene was hardly surprising.
The Cavaliers fell 121-108 to the Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Kenny Atkinson and his team are now one loss away from getting swept and ending their NBA season. While the Knicks players showed their dominance on the court, their fans also managed to take over the stands in Cleveland.
During the game, chants for the Knicks echoed across Rocket Arena. Mitchell, who was born in New York, could relate to the moment. "I'm from New York. This doesn't shock me. They do it in every arena," he said in the press conference. The 29-year-old also drew similarities between the passion of Knicks fans and Dallas Cowboys supporters.
Mitchell continued by pointing out how normal it is for New York fans to travel and support their team everywhere. He said, "I don't think it's a Cleveland thing. It's how Knicks fans are. I was one back in the day. Cleveland has the best fans in the world. I stand on that." The 7-time NBA All-Star's connection with New York runs deep.
Born and raised in the city, he grew up supporting the Knicks while his father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., worked for MLB's New York Mets as director of player relations. Long before leading the Cavaliers to the NBA playoffs, Mitchell was immersed in New York sports culture. That connection also fueled speculation back in 2022 when Mitchell was preparing to leave the Utah Jazz.
The Knicks were viewed as one of the leading trade destinations, but negotiations ultimately collapsed, paving the way for his move to Cleveland instead. Since arriving, Mitchell has transformed the franchise and played a major role in guiding the Cavs to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the LeBron James era ended in 2018.
He has embraced the city and reaffirmed that Cavs fans were not to blame for the atmosphere, but rather the players themselves. "I've nothing but love for the fans in Cleveland. We didn't get it done for our home crowd tonight. We didn't get it done which enables the Knicks fans to go off like that like they did," Mitchell said.
As the Knicks look to wrap up the series in Game 4, Mitchell would love to give the fans a reason to celebrate with a win. He scored 23 points in Game 3, second only to his teammate Evan Mobley. As the centerpiece of the offense, Mitchell will hope to deliver even more for his team and fans in the next game.
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 8:00 AM.