Donovan Mitchell did not mince words when responding to Charles Barkley’s criticism of the Cavaliers on “Inside the NBA.”
Before the Cavs defeated the defending champion Knicks 115-107 at Madison Square Garden Wednesday, Barkley was blunt in his analysis of Cleveland.
“Man, the Cavs suck,” he said, later explaining that he didn’t think the Cavs made enough changes to their roster and haven’t used Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley well enough.
“They were No. 1 a couple years ago, had the home court, got knocked out early,” Barkley explained. “Last year they were up 22 and then didn’t win another game. Now you cannot bring this same team back; that’s insanity, thinking they’re going to have a different outcome.”
Mitchell didn’t hold back when responding.
“Who gives a f—k?” Mitchell said per Cleveland.com. “Chuck ain’t here. If Chuck said we were the defending champs and made positive comments, what’s that going to do for us? Chuck ain’t doing nothing for us in this locker room. I have nothing but respect for those guys. So, no disrespect to them or you or anyone else, but who gives a f—k? At the end of the day, it’s all about us in here.”
Mitchell showed his commitment to Cleveland’s success when he inked a four-year, $273 million max contract extension with the team in July, keeping him with the Cavs through the 2030-31 season.
After a lackluster start to the season, the win over the Knicks brought the Cavs to 6-6 on the season.
Cleveland continues their road trip with a visit to Miami Friday night as part of the NBA Cup’s group stage before a four-game homestand begins next week against the Mavericks.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
