Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James returned to a familiar place on Wednesday when his team faced the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 41-year-old, of course, is an Akron, Ohio, native and began his NBA career with the Cavaliers when the franchise drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
With James playing his 23rd NBA season — and the Lakers having only one scheduled trip to Cleveland this year — the franchise gave him a proper welcome home tribute. Midway through the first quarter, the Cavaliers showed highlights of James scoring 25 consecutive points against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. That series was ultimately won by the Cavs, helping the franchise secure a ticket to the NBA Finals.
During the video tribute, James appeared to tear up. After the video played and before James returned to the court, he was shown wiping his eyes with a towel.
James spent 11 seasons with the Cavaliers across two stints with the franchise. James helped Cleveland win the 2016 NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors after battling back from a 3-1 deficit. James left Cleveland as a free agent in 2018 to join the Lakers.
With James’ retirement timeline unclear, this could mark his final time playing in Cleveland if he steps away after the 2025-26 season. However, ESPN reported in November that James is unsure if this will be his last season or if he will play at least one more.
James is averaging 22.4 points, 6.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 33.4 minutes per game. James has appeared in 28 games this season after missing the first month due to sciatica.
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