LeBron James paid more tribute to his time in Cleveland following the Lakers’ win over the Cavaliers on Sunday morning.
LeBron James had a rare night of rest when he returned to Northeast Ohio on Saturday during the most efficient shooting season of his 21-year career. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar scored 22 points on 23 shots against his former team, plus 6 rebounds and 6 assists. But a dominant performance by Anthony Davis in the second half and two timely late cuts from James at critical moments helped the short-handed Lakers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-115. Regardless, the Kings’ return gave way to a very competitive Strong defender. A back-and-forth between teams hoping to make a deep playoff run.
James, who grew up in nearby Akron and was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cavaliers in 2003, spent two different spells in Cleveland and won the organization’s only championship with his former team in 2016 Video tribute to him midway through the first quarter. At the end of the game, the four-time champion waved to the sycophantic crowd and then compared his hands to the shape of a heart as the applause continued, any resentment or resentment that James had twice left his hometown team long gone.
LeBron James salutes Cavaliers after Lakers win
After the game, James talked about how his time with the Cavaliers holds a special place in his heart.
“I spent 11 years here, you know, coming back after playing in Miami and winning a championship with this team, this city, I think it’s like a 52-year drought or something like that,” he said. “That’s something I’ll never forget, you know, no matter how old I get, I’ll always remember that moment. So it’s always a really cool feeling to be back on this floor, looking up (looking at the rafters) and being Part of almost every banner on this stage. But the number one banner is the one in the middle.”
James hasn’t forgotten his days in Cleveland. On Sunday morning, I posted a highlight video showing him reaching different scoring thresholds throughout his storied NBA career. Believe it or not, the league’s most prolific scorer of all time became the youngest person to reach 5,000, 10,000, and 10,000 points before breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s hallowed record last February. 25,000 point and 30,000 point players. Shockingly, James is also Cleveland’s all-time scoring leader.
The title of James’ Instagram video? He uttered that iconic, emotionally charged quip after winning the 2016 championship, achieving the goal he set when he returned to the Cavaliers two years ago, beating the Golden State Warriors 73-9 in the NBA Finals.
Saturday’s game won’t be James’ last in Cleveland. He’s on the verge of an MVP candidate now, but nowhere near the steep decline that could ultimately lead to his retirement. James has also remained largely healthy through the first few weeks of the 2023-24 season, finally fully recovered from the foot injuries that have plagued him the past two seasons. He’ll be back at Northeast Ohio next season and maybe a few more seasons after that.
However, don’t take anything that James does in the twilight of his career for granted. At some point, sooner or later, the player considered by many to be the “GOAT” of basketball history will have to die.