Donovan Mitchell Sends Clear LeBron James Message on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 8:24 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2025 NBA Playoffs as one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference and popular pick to make the finals. But after winning just five total games in the postseason, their run came to a disappointing end.

That failure wasn’t because of Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers' leading scorer delivered in the second round against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 33 or more points in four of the five games. In the lone game he didn’t reach that mark, he played just 20 minutes due to a left ankle injury.

In a recent sit-down with Taylor Rooks, Mitchell opened up about a variety of NBA topics. Naturally, the conversation turned to the Cavaliers' early playoff exit and the weight of trying to bring a championship back to Cleveland.

On Friday, Bleacher Report posted a key quote from the interview, highlighting Mitchell’s mindset:

Donovan Mitchell on creating his own path with in Cleveland:

"I'm not Bron. I'm not gonna do it the same way he did it... We're not the LeBron James-Kyrie Irving Cavaliers. We do it differently."

(via Taylor Rooks X) pic.twitter.com/pWmettcvk5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 27, 2025

When Rooks asked if he felt pressure being the star player on a franchise that’s won just one title, Mitchell gave a direct and honest response:

"No, because I'm not Bron. I'm not going to do it the same way he did it. What did he do six times in a row? Maybe we can do it the next six years. Maybe we don't. We are not the LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers. We do it different."

Mitchell added more context on how he sees the future for himself and the Cavaliers:

"We are going to try to accomplish what they did and be the second team in franchise history, but we are not the 2016 Cavs. That was a special team."

Mitchell has two years remaining on his current contract with the Cavaliers. He also holds a player option for the 2027-28 season worth $53.8 million. After that, he can become an unrestricted free agent.

One thing is clear: Mitchell isn’t trying to be the next LeBron. He’s focused on building something different and winning on his own terms.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: