Donovan Mitchell speaks about pressure to win in Cleveland

Donovan Mitchell is the star of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s had great games for Cleveland, like when he scored 71 points against the Chicago Bulls on January 2, 2023.

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Despite his great play, Mitchell hasn’t led the Cavaliers to an NBA championship. This has led to Mitchell receiving comparisons to LeBron James.

After leading Cleveland to a 64-18 record, the Cavs were supposed to win the East. This didn’t happen as the Indiana Pacers shocked the Cavs, defeating them in five games.

In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Mitchell explained how he isn’t LeBron and what his own expectations are in Cleveland.

“No, because I’m not [LeBron James],” Mitchell said. “I’m not going to do it the same way that he did it. What did he do? Six times in a row? Maybe we do that for the next six years, maybe we don’t. We’re not the LeBron James-Kyrie Irving Cavaliers; we do it differently.

“We do it with Evan [Mobley]. With myself, with Darius [Garland]. We do it with Max [Strus], we do it with Jarrett [Allen], all the guys on the roster. It’s just different. We want to do it our own way while still having respect for what was done for the city.

“We succeed? Fantastic,” Mitchell continued. “If we fail, we’re gonna keep going… We are going to try to accomplish what obviously they did and be the second team to win in franchise history, but being okay with like, ‘Hey, it’s not 2016.’

“It was special, that was a special year. We’re looking to do something special ourselves for the city because they deserve it. The fans deserve it and that’s the goal.”

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

Mitchell certainly isn’t LeBron but that doesn’t mean he can’t lead the Cavaliers to an NBA title. Their loss to the Pacers was crushing, but if anything, it should fuel Mitchell and the Cavs to want to dominate next season.

About the Author Published Jun 28, 2025

TITAN FREY

Titan Frey is a dedicated father to three wonderful children, whom he takes immense pride in. His passions include reading, writing, basketball, both playing and watching, and playing chess. Titan spent five years working as a journalist for the basketball website fadeawayworld.net, where he served as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. One of his most notable achievements was interviewing Chuck Cooper III, the son of Chuck Cooper, the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team, and writing a biography that has been praised as the most definitive article about Cooper’s legacy. Titan is the author of more than ten novels and the screenwriter of three produced short films. His newest young adult novel, Echoes of the Hardwood: Braxton Foxworthy’s Time‑Travelling Book Report, blends basketball history with heartfelt storytelling and is now available. Order here: https://a.co/d/bo7BYz1