Cavaliers return to Cleveland to honor LeBron James

Ken Blades-USA TODAY Sports

Whenever Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James returns to his hometown to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s always an exciting game for him and the fans.

James spent two seasons with the Cavaliers, leading the team to their first NBA championship in 2016 and cementing his status as one of the greatest players in basketball history. Even though it’s been years since he left the team that originally selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Cleveland still has a lot of love for the King.

The Lakers and James opened a four-game road trip against the Cavaliers and won a tight game. Neither team was able to put much distance apart and the game entered the final minutes with either side likely to win.

During a television timeout in the first quarter, the Cavaliers paid tribute to James with a touching video played on the big screen inside the court. NBA TV:

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The video begins with James’ debut in Cleveland against the Sacramento Kings and then shows his scoring milestones from 5,000 points all the way to 30,000 points in a Cavaliers uniform. Later, the tribute also showcased the night James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a moment of great joy for the King and his family. A big moment.

After the video ended, the floor announcer congratulated James on his achievement, noting that he scored 23,119 points during his time in Cleveland. The audience gave James a warm round of applause, and he returned the love by raising his hands and showing a heart.

After the game, James discussed what Cleveland means to him and how grateful he is for the love he continues to receive back home, via Spectrum Sports Network:

“I think the most important thing when you get to this floor is obviously trying to win. We want to continue to get better as a team, just like the Lakers have been through this season. But it’s always special to be back here. , I felt that feeling too when we went back to Miami and learned about the history. But I think about it a little more here because I’ve been here for 11 years. I’ve been in Miami for four years, but I’ve been here To be able to come back after 11 years in Miami and win a championship for this team, this city, I think it’s like a 52-year drought or something like that for any sports team, in the city of Cleveland, I think It’s something I’ll never forget. No matter how old I get, I’ll always remember that moment. So it’s always a really cool thing to take a step back and look up and be a part of almost every banner on this stage Feeling. Banner 1, the banner in the middle was the ’16 champ, so that’s pretty cool… that’s pretty special. As a kid from Akron, I grew up 30 miles from here. To be able to Get drafted here, spend my first seven years here, and then come back for another four years and do something special that the franchise has never seen. When I got drafted, I said I wanted to light up this place like Vegas. , so I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job in this aspect after working here for 11 years.”

It must have been a special moment for James to be given such a warm welcome by the Cavaliers, considering all the years and wins he’s had with the Cavaliers. Cleveland will be forever grateful for everything James has done for their sports community, but now Los Angeles hopes the future Hall of Famer can lead them to another championship.

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