Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers may have resulted in an overwhelming 129-99 loss for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it was a meaningful occasion for LeBron James all the same. With the Cavaliers paying tribute to their hometown hero, James was overcome with emotion.
Although this was marked as a poignant moment in the evening, Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson made a relatively disrespectful remark at the end of the game. While crashing Donovan Mitchell‘s sideline interview, Tyson effectively disregarded all of LeBron James’ achievements for the Cavaliers’ franchise.
“This is Donovan Mitchell’s city now,” Tyson claimed. “When he comes back here, we’re going to make sure everybody roots for him [Mitchell] like they did for him [James]. So this is his stuff. It’s his city.”
Jaylon Tyson:
“This is Donovan Mitchell’s city now”
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) January 29, 2026
Needless to say, Tyson’s comment comes across as distasteful, especially in light of Mitchell’s pre-game statement about LeBron James’ legacy in Cleveland. However, it was the response from NBA fans on social media that was far more noteworthy.
With fans taking the opportunity to roast the Cavaliers guard, here are some of the funniest reactions from X:
“10-day contract player needs to chill,” joked one fan.
“LeBron brought a championship to a team that has never won anything. Donovan Mitchell can’t even get past the second round.”
“I’d slap tf out of buddy.”
“He’s getting traded,” added one user.
“Well, we know who the first to get traded when Bron comes back lol,” reiterated another.
“I thought he was going to give Bron love by taking the mic like that, but damn lol,” shared another.
“Jaylon Tyson is a nobody.”
“Nice joke, Jaylon. Even Pinocchio knows that was a nice joke.”
“Closet fanboy. Brooks 2.0,” stated one user.
“That was some corny s**t.”
Given that Tyson is only a sophomore, several users responded by questioning what the guard had even achieved. But considering how valuable he was for the Cavs on Wednesday night, he may have a right to sound off on LeBron James the way he did.
For the game, Jaylon Tyson posted 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists while shooting 8-15 from the field and 3-7 from three-point range. Coming second in scoring only to Mitchell (25 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST), Tyson continues to grow in stature as a star-caliber player.
Meanwhile, the Lakers saw an underwhelming performance by LeBron James, who recorded 11 points, three rebounds, and five assists on the night. Considering that he logged six turnovers and shot 3-10 from the field, despite the Cavs’ memorable gesture, James may view this as a night to forget.
With this loss, the Lakers have fallen to 28-18 on the season and are now 3-2 on their road trip. Although they remain fifth in the West, with only half a game separating them from sixth, the Purple and Gold are at risk of falling down the rankings.
