Donovan Mitchell Sends Clear Message to LeBron James About His Cavs Legacy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 8:43 PM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell has run up against some tough luck in the playoffs recently, but he used to be on a much different trajectory.

He immediately gained the respect of fans and his peers in his rookie season with the Utah Jazz when he took down the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

Now, after Mitchell’s teams having the No. 1 seed in the conference twice and failing to reach the conference finals both times, he is viewed as a playoff choker.

Despite all the recent criticism of him and the Cavaliers, the six-time All-Star is confident in his ability to win a championship, even if it requires a unique path to obtain it.

Mitchell recently sat down for an interview with Taylor Rooks of ESPN and talked about forging his own legacy and path to a championship 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,” he said.

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

Hailing from Akron, Ohio and being considered one of the two greatest basketball players ever, James will likely always be the gold standard for any Cavs star.

His infamous comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 finals is arguably the most impressive feat in NBA history, so Mitchell knows he has big shoes to fill.

However, the All-NBA guard knows that almost all the remnants of that team are gone, so it can never be replicated.

The path to an NBA championship seems more challenging than ever, but Mitchell is determined to create new memories for the fans of Cleveland.

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

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