Louisville Basketball: Donovan Mitchell Developing Unique Rivalry

Former Louisville basketball star Donovan Mitchell and fellow rookie Ben Simmons’ race for Rookie of the Year is starting to get just as entertaining off the court as it is on the court.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons and Utah Jazz guard and former Louisville basketball star Donovan Mitchell are neck-and-neck in the race to win the rookie of the year award for 2017-18 season.

At this point Ben Simmons is the likely winner of the award, as he’s been a superstar for the 76ers since he hit the floor. With a NBA record 11 triple-doubles in his first season (#redshirtrookie) and averaging more than 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists on the season.

However, there isn’t a bigger surprise in this years NBA season than former Louisville basketball star Donovan Mitchell, and the Utah Jazz.

We all know the story. Mitchell was originally projected to be a second round draft pick after leaving the Louisville basketball program, but after workouts and an extremely strong NBA combine, Mitchell shot up draft boards and was eventually taken 13th overall by the Utah Jazz.

Since the draft Donovan Mitchell has taken the league by storm, catching the attention of just about every NBA superstar in a way we’ve never seen before. Mitchell has averaged 20 points per game, with a little over 3 assists and 3 rebounds per, while breaking numerous records, including most three’s in a season by a rookie, while leading the Utah Jazz to a top five seed in the stacked Western Conference.

Utah was projected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season after losing their superstar Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics in free agency as well as starting point guard George Hill. But behind the incredible of Mitchell, who is a walking 25 points a night scorer, the Jazz are a real threat in the playoffs.

This rookie race has caught the attention of major media outlets, and even NBA superstars, all chomping at the bit to give their opinion on who should win. It’s also recently involved ROY candidates Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell, both of which have stated their claims on why they should…. Even doing so in creative, trolling ways.

Ben Simmons was asked last week if any other rookies in the league have caught his attention. His answer, might surprise you like it did me…

“None”

Simmons went on to say that he would 100% pick himself for the rookie of year award telling ESPN “I think I have been playing solid all year. If you look at the numbers, you’ll see. People who know the game know.”

Shortly after that quote hit the media waves and social media-sphere, Donovan Mitchell responded via Twitter with a creative GIF.

This tweet caught the attention of even more media members and players around the league, sparking a more thorough conversation and look at both players overall bodies of work, and raising the question; Should Ben Simmons be eligible to win the award on the account of he’s technically not a rookie?

Then last night in what was the Utah Jazz’s final home game of the season, Mitchell got even more creative in his attempt to one up Ben Simmons, targeting his “rookie” status.

https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/983850505561657344

Of course after Mitchell used fashion to troll Ben Simmons, in a way that only Russell Westbrook would truly understand, the internet exploded and Mitchell was asked about it after the Utah Jazz beat down the Golden State Warriors.

Mitchell spoke with ESPN’s Chris Haynes, who posted this to Twitter,

Ben Simmons was also asked about the hoodie Mitchell wore after his 14 point, 10 rebound, 6 assist performance against the Atlanta Hawks in a game that just about locked up the three seed for the 76ers… Simmons had this to say,

"“If his argument is that I’m not a rookie…I’m in pretty good shape, then.”"

With just one game remaining in the regular season for both teams and almost two months before the final decision is announced, there will be plenty more conversation and debate from the media and fans about Ben Simmons & Donovan Mitchell, and who has done more to deserve the award.

But don’t expect much talking from either player past this point. With both teams being contenders to make a run in the playoffs, it would be smart of them both to focus on the larger task at hand.

This rivalry, or whatever you want to call it, has been one of the best story lines of the 2017-18 season, and the two will likely be compared to each other for the rest of their NBA careers.

We are a non-biased site for most things, but when it comes to who should win the award, you can probably guess where we side.

Next: Chris Mack Introduces New Staff, Previews 2018-19 Season

Utah and Philadelphia will both play their last regular season game tonight, before getting the playoffs started on April 14th.