The NBA Rookie of the Year battle has become as intense as it gets, and it was taken to a new level by Donovan Mitchell.
The Utah Jazz rookie wore a sweatshirt to the arena for his team’s game on Tuesday that included the definition of “rookie” printed on the front.
Arrival pic.twitter.com/RHkCNV9pmc
— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 10, 2018
That extra year in college evidently didn’t help Donovan Mitchell realize he’s highlighting Simmons being a rookie with this definition pic.twitter.com/0jS7aMd0Il
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) April 10, 2018
The message on the shirt is his way of advocating for himself to win NBA Rookie of the Year, and it takes a shot at Ben Simmons, his primary competition for the honor.
Simmons has been splendid for the Philadelphia 76ers, but one could argue he is not a true rookie because he was drafted in 2016 and missed his first season due to injury. Comparatively, Mitchell was drafted in 2017 and this is his first NBA season. Simmons has made it clear that he thinks he should win the award, and now we’re seeing Mitchell’s response.
Mitchell isn’t alone in his opinion of the rookie definition.
