Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell on Lakers’ LeBron James possible last game in Cleveland: ‘A spectacle’

LeBron James is back home for his annual trip to Northeast Ohio, as the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare to host the Los Angeles Lakers on national television at 7 p.m. ET. The Cavs are on a season-high four-game winning streak, while LA has won four of its last five games and is firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture. Each squad has 28 victories coming into the highly anticipated bout, which could be The King’s swan song at Rocket Arena.

“You say, well, it could be his last game here; he could also have like four more years left as great as he is, as great as he’s playing,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Monday. “I mean, who has done this? Like, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], I guess? Who else? LeBron’s doing it, handling the ball a lot, playing as a guard. It’s gonna be fun. I can’t wait until he’s in the arena.”

“To be a part of possibly his last game here, it’s going to be a spectacle,” Donovan Mitchell added. “It’s going to be everything that it deserves to be, and it’s always going to be great to compete and match up against him in that light. He’s done a lot for this city. Being from here is equally impressive, to be honest. So for me, enjoy the moment and allow yourself to be a child, but also understand that the only way to honor him is to go out there, compete at your hardest. Go out there and find a way to win.”

Cavs hoping to follow in LeBron’s footsteps with another championship

Aside from the latest rumors of Cleveland being open to a LeBron reunion, members of the current team were asked what the 41-year-old’s career means to basketball, the franchise, and the town.

“We’re trying to replicate what they did, what he did here: win a championship, bring a championship back to the city,” Mitchell said on Monday. “You see the picture of me wearing the jersey and talk about Ahmaad [Crump] being the intro guy when he was here. So to be who I am here, watching that, it’s pretty wild to me. It’s always surreal. It’s always a blessing.”

Evan Mobley, who unfortunately won’t be able to participate due to another left calf strain, wants to see the four-time NBA MVP go “as long as he wants to go.”

“Ever since I’ve been alive, he’s been running the league basically,” Mobley said. “So, him being out here and coming back to The Land, it’s definitely big. But we’re going to focus on what we’ve got to focus on. We’ve got to take care of business, get another win. I think it’ll be great for the crowd and for the fans, but we’ve got to be locked in.”

“I know Cavs fans just celebrate him,” Atkinson added. “Every game he plays, every game we get a chance to compete against him, compete in the same arena. It’s a celebration. And, I always felt like LeBron, as great as he is, always played with class. He’s respectful, respectful of the other team, respectful of his opponent, and a class act. Great for the NBA. I can’t wait.”

Fittingly, wearing dark navy jerseys with their older logo plastered at mid-court, the Cavs will face the Lakers on their ninth Classic Edition night.

“To be honest, it’s crazy that they’re called classics,” Mitchell said. “It’s just one of those things where you appreciate his greatness, you appreciate what he’s done for the city, but let’s go out there and compete and have fun.”

LeBron and the Lakers are halfway through a season-long, eight-game road trip.

After Wednesday’s matchup, Cleveland is set to begin its own season-long, five-game road trip out west.

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