From attending Cleveland Browns and Guardians games with his teammates (even throwing out the first pitch for an ALCS game) to shouting out his favorite local restaurants to popping up at Northeast Ohio high school football games to enjoy some Friday Night Lights, Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell has really embraced The Land as his home the past few years since signing with the team.
So much so, that he says he wants to stay "forever."
In a recent interview with Cleveland.com, Mitchell reflected on the possibility of ending up in New York City instead and becoming a Knick, a dream he would've welcomed at the time considering the city was his hometown and he grew up a diehard Mets fan. Getting a deal done in Cleveland and developing an "unexpected happily ever after" in the Midwest wasn't exactly on his bingo card.
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“One thing I felt when I first got here was home,” Mitchell told Cleveland.com.
He said he didn't know what to expect when he arrived and admitted he probably would've had similar reactions to other players around the league who harp on Cleveland, but that's because they only see it from their hotel windows.
"I’d probably be like, ‘Man, I’m ready to go,’ too. I didn’t know any different. Then you feel it. You see it. You see the potential of what we can be as a team — this incremental climb. Obviously, I haven’t delivered on a championship and it’s a team thing, but we’re putting ourselves in a position to be right there," he said.
He added that feeling at peace also plays a big a role, that the little things add up like feeling safe at home and getting to know your neighbors.
"I always talk about my wife (Coco Jones) liking Cleveland. That’s a big part of it too."
As of now, Cavs and Donovan Mitchell still need to get the job done
With the addition of Mitchell, the Cavs have inched closer and closer to getting to the NBA Finals. They've faced the hurtles of playoff inexperience (put almost too perfectly by center Jarrett Allen of the "lights were too bright" during the 2023 playoffs), injuries to other top players and simply being humbled in some moments and not being able to get the job done when they could have.
They've had a big spotlight on them and have delivered in some ways, can't forget about the start of the 2024-25 season when they went 16-0, only to have to snapped by the Boston Celtics, a heated rival. But with heavy media attention and questioning as to why they couldn't get past the Eastern Conference Finals, Mitchell's commitment to Cleveland started to come into question as well, even as he continued to proclaim his love for the city and its fans.
Despite that, Mitchell has signed two extensions with the Cavaliers since his initial signing, most recently this past summer: a four-year, $273 million maximum deal.
Why Cleveland for Donovan Mitchell?
We've seen and heard it all. Cleveland's the butt of every joke, always the punchline. The place no one wants to go, the place everyone's trying to leave.
But Mitchell wants to stay.
Simply put, Mitchell told Cleveland.com that Cleveland is home.
“I don’t ever want to wear another uniform," he said. " ... Business is business. I understand how that works. There may be a situation where we may not be in a position to win anymore and business happens, right?
"... But the purpose behind this extension is to be here forever."
With that though, he acknowledges that he and the Cavaliers have to deliver. A championship is their only goal.
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"It’s why I wake up every morning. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I don’t see it. Can’t ever picture it," he said. "I dream of myself being here forever and hopefully having 45 in the rafters one day."
The Cavs start the season Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. facing off against the new-look Philadelphia 76ers featuring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'I dream of being here forever': Donovan Mitchell wants to retire a Cavs player