Draymond Green on Jaylon Tyson's statement about Cleveland not being LeBron James' town anymore: "Cleveland is more Kyrie Irving's city than it is Donovan Mitchell's city"

While it is encouraging to see a franchise and its fanbase fully rally behind a new cornerstone and given how exceptional Donovan Mitchell has been playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, averaging 29.4 points per game, there is no questioning his status as a beloved superstar in the city. However, when teammate Jaylon Tyson recently claimed that Cleveland is now more of his city than LeBron James', the statement caught Draymond Green off guard.

So much so that the former Defensive Player of the Year felt compelled to step up and provide some historical perspective to prove that, let alone competing with King James' legacy in Cleveland, but Mitchell's legacy isn't even on the same level as Kyrie Irving's.

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Kai is still bigger in Cleveland than Mitchell

Many fans may overlook what Kai accomplished during his six-year stint with the Cavaliers. Not only did he help them feature in four consecutive NBA Finals, but he also logged four All-Star nods, along with one All-NBA Third Team selection and won the Rookie of the Year award.

Those individual awards, combined with sustained playoff success, firmly cement Irving's place in Cavs' history, far superior to what Mitchell has achieved just yet - having won just two playoff series in three full seasons.

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That was the crux of Draymond's argument. While Donovan has been spectac ular, individually, for the Cavs since his arrival, his resume in the city remains limited. Put simply, fewer years with the franchise, limited individual as well as team success, only makes it premature to even compare Mitchell to the legends of the past.

Thus, on an episode of his podcast. Green clarified how he intends to throw no dirt on Mitchell, but is only speaking the harsh facts that perhaps someone like Tyson should have realized on his own before making such remarks.

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"Speaking of Bron and Cleveland, I found it very funny that Jaylon Tyson announcing that the city of Cleveland belonging to Donovan Mitchell," Green said.

"Mitchell is a great basketball player. Like Top 15, whatever, in the NBA. But Donovan Mitchell has not gotten out of the second round in Cleveland. I think Donovan should've corrected him right in the moment, 'Hey, man. No sir.' The young fella should understand how this works and this is not shot at Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland is more Kyrie Irving's city than it is Donovan Mitchell's city because Kyrie Irving won a championship in Cleveland."

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There is no athlete greater than LBJ for Cleveland fans

LeBron's relationship with the city of Cleveland is unlike anything else in professional sports. It has included unwavering support, public resentment, jersey burnings, redemption and ultimately, the delivery of the franchise's only NBA championship in 2016.

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But most importantly, beyond wins a nd losses, LeBron turned Cleveland into a global basketball focal point, drawing unmatched media attention and cultural relevance to the city.

That kind of legacy is untouchable in the short term, especially because it took the four-time MVP years of hard work to earn that standing and it will take any future Cavalier, even one as talented as Mitchell, an extraordinary amount of time and success to even be mentioned in the same breath.

And it's safe to say that this is exactly what Draymond wants everyone to realize before dropping bold statements.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.