Donovan Mitchell issues apology to Cavs fans and teammates for ‘selfish’ act during 76ers game

In the waning moments of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had a clear lane to the basket, but he was also just one assist away from notching the first triple-double of his NBA career.

So instead of scoring the ball with a layup or dunk, Mitchell passed the ball to big man Evan Mobley. That decision resulted in a Mobley turnover a few seconds later, and Mitchell was visibly frustrated with himself for making the pass.

Following the Cavaliers’ eight-point victory to improve to 13-0 on the season — which stands as the best record in the NBA right now — Mitchell apologized for going out of his way to try to finish with his first career triple-double.

“Cavs fans, I’m sorry,” he said immediately after the game. “I shoulda put the game away early. That was a selfish moment. I ain’t gon’ lie. That’s on me. I haven’t had one (a triple-double) in my career. Almost lost us the game doin’ that. That’s a selfish moment. Won’t happen again. I apologize. I apologize to my teammates. Sorry, y’all. My bad.”

He later apologized even more.

“I’m not going to lie,” Mitchell said when asked how badly he wants to finally log a triple-double. “It’s been eight years. I mean, if there’s any indication, it was passing up a wide-open dunk. It was out of character. That’s not me. And that’s why I didn’t get it. You don’t get rewarded for not being yourself.

“It was a selfish moment. We all have those moments. I apologize to Cavs fans, to my teammates. That won’t happen again. That’s not me. That’s why I didn’t get it because I try to go do something selfish. It wasn’t selfless, like I’ve been preaching. The basketball gods. That’s what you get.”

Despite the blunder, Mitchell had a big night. If it weren’t for his scoring contributions across the final frame of the contest, the Cavaliers’ undefeated start to the season might have come to an end against the 76ers. After all, 13 of his 23 points came in the fourth quarter, and he buried three 3-pointers in the last three minutes of the game.

Although Mitchell is averaging fewer minutes and shots per game this season than he did last season, he remains Cleveland’s top scorer. He’s averaging a team-high 23.6 points per game and has suited up in every one of the team’s regular-season contests to this point.

In addition, he’s shooting the ball from 3-point range better than he ever has during his pro career, as a career-high 40.7 percent of his triples have found the bottom of the net on 8.7 attempts per game.

With their win over the 76ers, the Cavs are now the sixth team to ever start a season with a record of 13-0. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors were the last team to accomplish such a feat, and that squad won a record 73 games during the regular season.

However, the Cavaliers will face perhaps their biggest test of the season to this point in the near future. On Nov. 19, Cleveland will play against the Boston Celtics in an NBA Cup contest.

The Cavs will have two other games before that one, with one coming against the Chicago Bulls (in more NBA Cup action) and one coming against the Charlotte Hornets.