While the basketball world slows down during the NBA offseason, plenty of action continues in other sports. Besides the WNBA and NFL, baseball has captured the attention of several league stars. Among the most passionate MLB enthusiasts are Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and New York’s fan-favorite Josh Hart, whose team loyalties have sparked a playful, digitalized rivalry, keeping fans entertained and engaged even while the hardwood is quiet.
When many expected the Cavaliers’ All-Star guard to quietly take the loss and move on, Donovan Mitchell had other plans. He admitted defeat but also put fellow NBA star Josh Hart on blast. “I’ll take my L!! But I could’ve sworn you were a Nationals fan!! @joshhart,” Mitchell wrote, attaching screenshots of Hart’s old tweets that hinted at his past allegiance to the Washington Nationals, casting doubt on his supposed Yankee loyalty.
What looked like Hart’s chance to finally land a counterpunch quickly flipped on its head. Mitchell turned the tables once again, leaving the Knicks forward on the defensive in their playful feud. For now, it seems the Cavaliers guard will have the last laugh, unless Hart fires back with an even bolder response to keep the rivalry alive. But where did it all begin?
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It all began a couple of months ago when Josh Hart proudly declared his loyalty to the New York Yankees. During the latest Subway Series, as the Mets jumped out to an early lead, Hart fired off a tweet: “Just so yall know… it’s a Yankee city.” Donovan Mitchell wasn’t letting that slide then. The Cavaliers star hit back with, “Saying this down 6 is funny #LFGM,” a nod to the Mets’ eventual 12–6 win. At the time, it felt like the exchange had wrapped up, but the duo kept it hanging!
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That’s because after the Mets’ 3-2 loss against the Washington Nationals, Mitchell’s favorite team’s playoff aspirations took a massive blow. Now, with six games remaining, the Mets’ chances of making the playoffs look bleak even if they manage to win all of their remaining matchups. What makes this situation even more hurtful for the franchise’s fans, including Mitchell, is the fact that the Mets were in a playoff spot since the 5th of April, but still have somehow managed to fumble the bag.
As expected, Josh Hart, who was on the receiving end last time, quickly took to X to taunt the Spida. “Yo @spidadmitchell this what yall envisioned?” Hart questioned Mitchell after what can only be described as a terrible result for the N.Y.-based team. While it’s great fun as both Donovan Mitchell and Josh Hart are set to add another chapter in their baseball rivalry, where does both NBA superstars’ love for baseball come from?
Mitchell and Hart have pretty strong baseball ties
Well, now we’ve all seen that both Donovan Mitchell and Josh Hart are quite passionate about baseball, which makes you wonder how they started following the sport. Well, technically, neither superstar did not started on their own; they were rather born into the New York Major League Baseball clubs’ fandom. Hart, who’s a Maryland native, is the grand-nephew of late Yankee Elston Howard, a twelve-time All-Star and the very first African American player to wear the pinstripes.
Not just that, Howard’s No. 32 was retired by the Yankees in 1984, and a plaque honors his legacy in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. This should give you some perspective on how Hart became a die-hard Yankee fan. Meanwhile, Mitchell, on the other hand, doesn’t have any connections to MLB players but is the son of Donovan Sr., a longtime front office presence for the Mets organization. Even today, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar’s father serves as a senior director in community, inclusion, and player relations.
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Moreover, Donovan Sr. has such a strong influence in and around New York that many believed that Mitchell would join a New York-based team before the Cavaliers snatched him. So, now you know how both Mitchell and Hart’s fandom for their respective teams began, and how strong ties both have within the baseball world. Now, it will be worth watching how Hart replies to this newest jab taken at him by the Spida, as we eagerly wait to see the next chapter of this friendly saga.