He’s back, again: LeBron James returns to The Land

Making his NBA debut 20 years ago in a wine & gold uniform, the hometown kid from Akron returns to where it all started, as LeBron James and the Lakers are set to take on the Cavaliers tonight in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

LeBron, 38, still has not shown any signs of slowing down, averaging 25.7 points (57.8% FG), 8.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 33.8 minutes of playing time per game for the Lakers this season.

Throughout LeBron’s career for the Cavaliers, he will forever be honored as the “chosen one” who helped bring a sports championship to the city of Cleveland, who previously had a 52-year drought.

Being that LeBron infamously led the 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals, this was enough for fans to forgive his departure from the city. That is to say, LeBron’s return has not always been a welcoming one, as some might remember the first time he came back home as a member of the Miami Heat. 

Upon LeBron’s first departure, there was understandably a lot of animosity from the city of Cleveland, as Cavs fans were still devastated by The Decision, when LeBron decided to announce taking his talents to South Beach on national tv. During his first time back in northeast Ohio since leaving, in a matchup between the Heat and the Cavs, LeBron was quoted as saying this was a game he will never forget, recalling “the loudest boos I’ve ever heard.” The crowd was so rowdy that at one point the NBA security considered calling the game early, because with batteries being thrown onto the court, it actually turned into a safety issue. 

LeBron described it as an eerie night, “I mean, I will never forget it. I’ll never forget both instances. I will never forget December 2, 2010, and I will never forget us winning the championship in 2016 and that parade,” James said. “Those are two things that will always be instilled in me for the rest of my career. It’s both. There’s a negative side and there’s a positive side to it. It doesn’t stop me from pushing forward, but it’s something that I definitely, I don’t forget.”

The nostalgia surrounding a LeBron James homecoming game always gets the fans to tune-in, reminiscing over the many years of seeing King James performing highlight reel plays in a Cavaliers uniform, as they still have Austin Carr announcing “the L-Train right down Euclid” ringing in their ears. With this in mind, there seems to be a melancholic atmosphere surrounding the city, as a group of people, who were all witnesses at one point in time, now find themselves on the opposing team of their hometown hero.

It should be pointed out, LeBron James has a 17-3 record against his old team, with two of those losses coming last season. When playing against his former team, LeBron certainly has reminded fans of what they missed upon his departure. In 20 games vs. the Cavaliers, LeBron has a career average of 29.0 points (55% FG), 7.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. 

When asked about how to gameplan against the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, Cavs’ coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the media ahead of Saturday night’s matchup that stopping LeBron will be “easier said than done.”

This will be King James’ 11th time returning to Cleveland, where his NBA career all began, as the 8-7 Cavs host the 9-7 Lakers. To note, the two teams will also face off on April 6 in Los Angeles at Crypto.Com Arena.