Donovan Mitchell After Cavs’ Skills Challenge Title: ‘We’re Trying to Take Home Every Trophy’

February 16, 2025

As you know by now, the Cavaliers walked away from All-Star Saturday night with some hardware, thanks to Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who took home the trophy in the NBA Skills Challenge.

For Mobley, it’s his second time being part of a winning team, having previously been on the squad that won the event back in 2021 with Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland.

“We’re trying to take home every trophy,” Mitchell said from San Francisco, the site of this year’s All-Star bonanza. “In the regular season, in the playoffs and here at All-Star (weekend). So shoutout to Ev, he set the tone, and we ended up getting the W.”

This year, the Skills Challenge featured a two-man competition with four teams, where each player had to navigate an obstacle course that included hitting a corner three over a windmill, sinking a free throw, and making passes to a target.

Mobley has joined Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and Damian Lillard as the only multiple-time Skills title-winners.

“I mean, it means a lot — I didn’t even know that was a thing,” Mobley said, holding the trophy. “Can’t wait for the next one.”

Mitchell and Mobley didn’t exactly come out of the gates firing. Mobley struggled with his shooting, and Mitchell had some trouble handling the ball while trying to push it up the court.

But somehow, that was still enough to get them through to the finals, thanks to some really rough performances from the competition.

Rookies Alex Sarr (Wizards) and Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks) couldn’t even come close, and the Spurs duo of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama were disqualified after failing to even attempt a shot from the shooting racks — instead just tossing the ball toward the basket in a rather bizarre display.

When it was time for the final round, Mitchell and Mobley were much sharper. They shaved 17 seconds off their time from the first round, showing marked improvement in the second go.

The Warriors gave them a run for their money in the final, with Moses Moody putting up a solid performance. But Draymond Green wasn’t able to keep pace, missing key passes and shots that ultimately sealed the Cavs’ victory.

While the Skills Challenge may not necessarily translate directly to on-court dominance, it’s still a fun event — and for the Cavs, it’s a much-needed boost. As they continue to push for a strong finish to the season, perhaps this victory will serve as a confidence builder. Hey, man, you never know.

As for the actual NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Cleveland will have three players — Mitchell, Mobley, and Garland — along with their coaching staff on the big stage.