Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell have a close relationship off the court, but don't expect them to play nice when the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers face off in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Mitchell set that record straight on Sunday when asked about his friendship with Brown and fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
"I stopped talking to them when there was a possibility we were going to play them," the Cavs All-Star told reporters. "But it's all competition and I expect nothing but the best from them and vice versa.
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"We've got to go out there and take care of business in a hostile environment, but it's always great to play against friends, compete against friends, and I know it's going to be tough. It's going to be fun, and I'm excited."
Brown bluntly echoed Mitchell's sentiments while speaking with reporters on Monday.
"Ain't no friends in the playoffs," he said.
Mitchell has been close with Brown and Tatum since high school. The trio played together on Team USA at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. In 2020 at the NBA bubble, Mitchell and Brown traded friendly barbs in a series of humorous social media posts.
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Brown posterized Mitchell with a thunderous dunk last season and trolled him afterward. Mitchell got the last laugh, however, as the Cavs beat the C's in overtime behind his 41-point performance.
While their friendship has only grown over the years, Mitchell and Brown will be all business when the Celtics-Cavs series tips off on Tuesday night. Game 1 at TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET with coverage starting at 6 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston's Celtics Pregame Live.
