Stephen A. Smith Might Have Cursed This Former Jazz All-Star

The first year of Donovan Mitchell in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform didn't end as many expected, losing to the New York Knicks in a shocking five games. While some could note the cause of this bad play, coaching, luck, or all the above; maybe it's actually a curse from the great Stephen A. Smith?

Not actually. Still though, ever since Smith decided to anoint Mitchell as one of the best to ever put on a Utah Jazz jersey, he hasn't been able to deliver like we would all like to see.

This "curse" began close to two years ago in the 2021 playoffs, the morning after Mitchell posted a 37-point performance to lift the Jazz up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Clippers. Stephen A. decided to discuss his Jazz legacy on ESPN's First Take.

"In Utah already, I don't want to hear about Karl Malone. I don't want to hear about John Stockton. That's the best player in the history of the Jazz organization right there. I just said it, and I ain't stuttering. Donovan Mitchell is a superstar. This brotha is big time."

He even went on to consider Donovan Mitchell the best player in the playoffs at the time. Stephen A. was ready to crown Mitchell over the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid before even closing out the series.

What happened after this was not pretty. The Clippers were able to close out the next four games of the series, reaching their first-ever Conference Finals in team history, while the Jazz were sent home. The next year was an even bigger let-down for the Jazz after the Dallas Mavericks sent them packing after six games in the First Round.

If you're keeping track, since Stephen A.'s comment, Mitchell continued to finish his Jazz career with a record of 2-8 in the postseason. Adding in the results of this year's series vs. the Knicks, Mitchell has a collective playoff record of 3-12 since.

Whatever the cause for Mitchell's recent playoff woes is, the Stephen A. jinx is likely not helping his case. However, the Cavaliers should enter the 2023-24 season as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference ready to contend once again. The 26-year-old guard will likely have yet another shot to make some playoff improvement.

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