Cavs' Jaylon Tyson apologizes to LeBron James after declaring Cleveland Donovan Mitchell's city now

Tyson explains his viral proclamation about the Cavaliers' new star player

Jan. 29, 2026 at 4:23pm

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After the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Cavs second-year player Jaylon Tyson declared that Cleveland is now Donovan Mitchell's city, not LeBron James'. Tyson later apologized, saying he didn't mean to disrespect James, one of the greatest players ever, but just wanted to give Mitchell his flowers as the team's new leader.

Why it matters

Tyson's comments sparked a reaction, as LeBron James is a Cleveland legend who led the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016. Tyson's proclamation about Mitchell taking over the city was seen by some as disrespectful to James' legacy, even though Tyson's intent was to uplift the Cavs' current star player.

The details

In a postgame interview, Tyson told ESPN's Jorge Sedano: 'This is Donovan Mitchell's city now. When he comes back here, we're gonna make sure that everybody roots for him like they did for [LeBron].' Tyson later explained he didn't mean any disrespect to James, one of the greatest players ever, but just wanted to give Mitchell his flowers as the team's new leader. Mitchell appreciated the support from his teammate but gave props to LeBron, saying 'he's laid the foundation' and deserves the energy from Cleveland fans.

  • On January 29, 2026, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.

The players

Jaylon Tyson

A second-year swingman for the Cleveland Cavaliers who made a viral proclamation about Donovan Mitchell taking over as the face of the franchise.

Donovan Mitchell

The star player for the Cleveland Cavaliers who is leading the team's push to win another NBA championship for the city.

LeBron James

One of the greatest basketball players of all time who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016, cementing his legacy in the city.

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What they’re saying

“This is Donovan Mitchell's city now. When he comes back here, we're gonna make sure that everybody roots for him like they did for [LeBron].”

— Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers player (ESPN)

“There was no disrespect there. I didn't want to disrespect or step on nobody's toes. That's one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Obviously, I was a Cavs fan growing up because of him. I didn't want to take away [from] him, but I just wanted to give Don his flowers. That was my biggest goal in it.”

— Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers player (ESPN)

“At the end of the day, he's laid the foundation. They've done a lot for the city, being from here. Obviously, we want to replicate that. He deserves the energy that he's got here. At the end of the day, first title in [52] years. For us, we're trying to do it, obviously, differently, but we're trying to find ways to go out there and bring the city another championship.”

— Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers player (ESPN)

What’s next

The Cavaliers will look to continue their strong season and push for another NBA championship, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way as the new face of the franchise.

The takeaway

Jaylon Tyson's comments about Donovan Mitchell taking over as the new star in Cleveland sparked a reaction, but he later apologized, saying he didn't mean to disrespect LeBron James' legacy. The Cavaliers are now Mitchell's team, but they still respect James' impact on the city and are aiming to bring another title to Cleveland.