The New York Knicks must have done plenty of homework on the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom they will be facing in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. Knicks head coach Mike Brown surely has Donovan Mitchell’s name circled, but he also missed one thing about the Cavs star shooting guard.
While talking about Mitchell’s upcoming matchup against Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Brown learned from the media on Monday about Mitchell’s intriguing connection to New York through his father.
“Oh wow,” Brown exclaimed when informed that Mitchell’s dad works for the New York Mets, which is also why the seven-time NBA All-Star is a big Mets fan.
Here’s a video of Brown’s interaction with the media.
"There's a lot of storylines for you guys to write about. I didn't know they were close friends"
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 18, 2026
Mike Brown was asked about Donovan Mitchell going up against Jalen Brunson and learned Donovan's father works for the Mets pic.twitter.com/zVEFRAlnpL
As Cleveland’s best player, Mitchell can expect great defensive focus from the Knicks.
Brown and his coaching staff have ample time to prepare for the Conference Finals, thanks to New York’s four-game sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, though they also had to wait a little longer to confirm their next opponent, as the Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons went the distance in their series.
The Knicks host Cleveland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.
