Donovan Mitchell Praises LeBron James As He Joins Him in Rare Group

Donovan Mitchell has entered new realms of the Cleveland Cavaliers folklore.

The Cavs star scored 45 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 114–98 win over the Magic, marking Cleveland’s fourth straight victory.

Mitchell shot 15-for-25, hit five three-pointers, and scored a season-high 26 points in the first half, recording his 25th 30-point game of the season and his fifth with at least 40 points.

"At some point the ball is going to go in, right? I was getting some easy ones, but I think the biggest thing is collectively we would get a stop. We were getting good looks offensively. We were doing a lot of things really well defensively," Mitchell said.

His tally of five 40-point games at home with the Cavaliers means that he is now tied with LeBron James for the most in franchise history.

Donovan Mitchell had his fifth 45-point game at home as a member of the Cavaliers.

He ties LeBron James for most in franchise history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MIm7vBLLc3
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 27, 2026

“We're trying to replicate what they did here, right? What he did here, win a championship, bring a championship back to the city,” Mitchell said about James and attempting to repeat the championship legacy that James built.

“So, to be who I am here, watching that, like, you know, it's pretty wild to me. It was always surreal. always a blessing.”

Mitchell’s landmark comes at the best time for the Cavs

Cleveland’s win over Orlando handed the Cavs their fourth consecutive win, which puts them a season-best eight games over .500 at 28-20. They are also 11-4 since December 29.

“We've found different ways to win each night,” Mitchell said.

“It's been a different guy each night; it's been a collective thing. Even when we were down, right, we didn't allow it to affect us, the [Philadelphia] game, for example. Charlotte, we were up, gave up the lead, figured out a way to win, right?

“Like tonight, start off slow. And then we get him blown up by OKC, right? Didn't waver our mental. We’re going to figure things out. We are not going to be perfect, but as long as we do it with the right intention, aggressiveness and cohesiveness, I think is the biggest part as well.”

"Oh man, he was great,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Mitchell.

“I thought he was great defensively, right? At both ends, right? He didn't conserve himself on defense and made others better. And obviously the shot making was insane. It was a nice variety, variety of paint and his threes.”

And speaking of James, the Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Lakers next on Wednesday as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer makes his return.