Since the dawn of time, athletes and fans have fought over which sport is the most difficult. In recent years, the debate has been reignited by NBA players and members of the NFL jawing back and forth on social media.
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In the latest installment of the longstanding conversation, star shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, referenced his collegiate companion, Lamar Jackson, when discussing his chances at success in another discipline.
During his appearance on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, the scoring sensation referenced his time spent on basketball courts at Louisville with Jackson before asserting that he would have an easier time making it to the NFL than Jackson making it to the NBA. “I hope he sees that too. I saw him dunk, I didn’t really get to see him hoop much,” Mitchell said.
Despite claiming that he’d have an easier path to the opposite sporting league than his counterpart, Mitchell did admit that he’d take a much safer approach to the game of football. In suggesting that he could potentially play at the tight end position, the spider compared his would-be play style to that of the former Seattle Seahawk, Tyler Lockett.
Suffice to say, Mitchell has no interest in putting his body on the line for a measly first down.
“Maybe tight end, maybe. Come out, grab it, fall. Who’s the guy that falls, on Seattle, every time he catches it? [Tyler Lockett] That would be me. Throw me an out route, nothing down the middle. That is a guaranteed interception. As soon as I hit you right there and get back towards the middle, I’m not going for it,” he added.
As far as the big picture of the hot button topic is concerned, Mitchell suggested that it would ultimately depend on the position that the NBA talent would be asked to play. While he did provide that important caveat, the six-time NBA All Star still noted that “I might get hated for this” before claiming that
“I think it would be easier to come over into y’all’s world, at certain positions. I don’t think I could be a running back… Not a corner. I got big feet and they don’t move like that. I’m not reacting to sh*t, I can tell y’all that now. Safety, I think I’ve got it.”
Thankfully, fans don’t have to worry about the hooping phenom being limited to only playing defense. With a career average of 24.7 points per game, perhaps it’s best for everyone that Mitchell stuck with basketball.
Donovan Mitchell recalls his time with Lamar Jackson at Louisville
Top tier athletes often cross paths at the collegiate level, often leading to some interesting insights down the road. In the case of Mitchell, he was provided a front-row seat to the development of Jackson.
While likening the current play of Jackson to that of the Showtime Lakers, Mitchell suggested that his progression from being perennial backup to a national sensation was as sudden as it was telling.
“It was crazy because you watched the progression. He came in, he was third string… threw an interception, was running around, didn’t really look like he had it all together. And then that next season, it just clicked. You see it now on the field. He’s a pro.”
Jackson will likely be cheering for his former alumni throughout the NBA Playoffs. Mitchell and the Cavaliers enter the postseason as the number one seed in the Eastern conference, and are primed to make a run towards the title.
Should the Cavs manage to realize their championship aspirations, Jackson will likely never hear the end of how Mitchell was the first of the two to claim a professional championship. Then again, an extra source of motivation for the MVP runner up could prove to be a nightmare for the rest of the National Football League.
