Donovan Mitchell wasn't interested in "Inside the NBA" co-host Charles Barkley's take that the Cleveland Cavaliers "suck," as the Hall of Famer put it on air Wednesday.
"Who gives a f---?" Mitchell told Chris Fedor of cleveland.com after a 115-107 win over the Knicks in New York on Wednesday. "Chuck ain't here. If Chuck said we were the defending champs and made positive comments, what's that going to do for us?
"Chuck ain't doing nothing for us in this locker room. I have nothing but respect for those guys. So, no disrespect to them or you or anyone else. ... At the end of the day, it's all about us in here."
Barkley made the remarks on ESPN as the network previewed Cavs-Knicks. However, Mitchell was not made aware of them until after Cleveland defeated New York, according to Fedor.
After opining that "the Cavs suck," to the bewilderment of co-host Kenny Smith, Barkley criticized Cleveland's front office for returning much of the same team that was swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this year.
"Last year, they're up 22 (against New York in the East finals) and then don't win another game. Now, you cannot bring this same team back. Insanity, thinking there's gonna be a different outcome," Barkley said.
Mitchell put up 23 points with seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block to help beat the Knicks on Wednesday. He noted that the reigning champions faced plenty of criticism before winning their title.
"They all said Jalen Brunson was a small guard who couldn’t win a championship. He won a championship," Mitchell said.
"They said the Knicks couldn't do it. They said the Knicks needed to fire Mike Brown. What happened? ... You know what I'm saying? It's about us in this locker room. We believe in us. That's all that matters."
Wednesday's win over the Knicks returned Cleveland to .500 at 6-6. The Cavs had lost four of their previous five games.
