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Boardroom is a sports, media and entertainment brand co-founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman and focused on the intersection of sports and entertainment. Boardroom’s flagship media arm features premium video/audio, editorial, daily and weekly newsletters, showcasing how athletes, executives, musicians and creators are moving the business world forward. Boardroom’s ecosystem encompasses B2B events and experiences (such as its renowned NBA and WNBA All-Star events) as well as ticketed conferences such as Game Plan in partnership with CNBC. Our advisory arm serves to consult and connect athletes, brands and executives with our broader network and initiatives.

Recent film and TV projects also under the Boardroom umbrella include the Academy Award-winning Two Distant Strangers (Netflix), the critically acclaimed scripted series SWAGGER (Apple TV+) and Emmy-nominated documentary NYC Point Gods (Showtime).

Boardroom’s sister company, Boardroom Sports Holdings, features investments in emerging sports teams and leagues, including the Major League Pickleball team, the Brooklyn Aces, NWSL champions Gotham FC, and MLS’ Philadelphia Union.

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Sports October 9, 2025
Boardroom Staff
Boardroom Staff

Donovan Mitchell on LeBron, Curry, KD — and Why Winning in the NBA Playoffs Matters Most

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star opens up about the playoffs, respect in the NBA, and his drive to reach the Finals on Network with Rich Kleiman.

Despite having made the NBA Playoffs every year of his career, Donovan Mitchell still hasn’t been able to shake the postseason monkey off his back.

It’s not that he underperforms once the regular season ends, as evidenced by him breaking Michael Jordan‘s record with eight straight playoff series openers of scoring 30-plus points or boasting the seventh-highest playoff scoring average (28.3 points per game), less than a fraction of a point behind LeBron James (28.39). However, he hasn’t been able to advance past the second round, falling short of the Conference Finals each season. It’s for this very reason that Mitchell feels he hasn’t gotten the same respect as some of the players he believes he belongs in the same conversation with, such as James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.

“Personally, yeah, I feel like I’m there, 1,000%,” Mitchell said on the latest episode of Network with Rich Kleiman. “For me to be perceived in that space, got to get to the Finals. Got to get, honestly, past the second round. That’s not my goal, to make the Conference Finals and that be it, but I think that definitely affects the perception.”

While he admits the public eye does take its toll, Mitchell knows there’s no negotiating with himself.

“Does it piss me off? Yes. I think for me, it’s more of I understand it, I accept it, and that’s what I’m working toward. Some guys never get there, but I’m not going to stop,” he said.

Be sure to catch the full conversation at Boardroom’s YouTube channel here as well as on Yahoo Sports’ podcast pages on Apple and Spotify.

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Boardroom Staff