Pelicans Scoop

Ex-NBA Champion Calls Out Donovan Mitchell After Cavaliers-Pacers

Ex-NBA Champion and former New Orleans Pelican Kendrick Perkins delivered a hot take about Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell
Will Despart|
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second half of game five against the Indiana Pacers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second half of game five against the Indiana Pacers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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One-time NBA Champion and former New Orleans Pelican Kendrick Perkins had a lot to say about Donovan Mitchell following the Cleveland Cavaliers' second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.

While Mitchell averaged 34.2 points across the five-game series, Perkins' criticism was aimed at Mitchell's playoff shortcomings, toughness, and past tension with coaches in response to Mitchell's postgame press conference following the Cavaliers' Game 5 loss.

"Donovan Mitchell, we don't want to hear it, brother," Perkins said. "We are going to write you off because we don't believe in you. Your team has never been to the Conference Finals. You got JB Bickerstaff fired. You had no communication with that man while he was there. As soon as he got fired, you signed a contract extension. JB Bickerstaff was structure, Kenny Atkinson gave those guys too much leeway."

Mitchell continued to put the Cavaliers on his back throughout their first-round series, but Perkins bashed him for making a big deal about his injury.

"Donovan wanted the world to know that his ankle was sore and that he was pushing through it," Perkins continued. "He wanted y'all to know 'I'm giving it my all y'all, but I got a sore ankle.' Don't look at Anthony Edwards and what happened to him game two. We ain't heard (expletive) about it. Put the camera on him, he ain't said a word about it. No facial expressions, none of that."

Perkins, who started on the Boston Celtics' 2008 championship team, famously missed Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals after tearing his MCL and ACL in Game 6 of that series. Perkins averaged 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 points per game in 143 career postseason appearances.

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Will Despart
WILL DESPART

Will Despart is a Las Vegas-based sportswriter who covers the NBA for OnSI. He also writes for Ballislife and handles multiple beats for The Sporting Tribune, including the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. His reporting has been featured in newspapers across the country through the Field Level Media news wire.

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