LeBron James after nightmare return against Cavs: ‘I sure wasn’t good at all’

CLEVELAND — LeBron James received a warm welcome at Rocket Arena. The Cavaliers were considerably less accommodating once the game started.

James is 41. On Friday, he looked 51.

That’s how difficult the night became for the Sixers star, who finished with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and six turnovers in a lopsided NBA Cup loss. He struggled to get past defenders, couldn’t establish a rhythm and repeatedly gave the ball away.

“I know I damn sure wasn’t good at all,” James told reporters.

There wasn’t much room for disagreement. The Cavs made him work, and James rarely found an answer. His return became a reminder that even a player who has spent years defying his age can have nights when it catches up in a hurry.

“Yeah, I definitely did not feel in a good rhythm offensively,” James said. “We didn’t look like much offensively. … Too many turnovers on my behalf, and I didn’t feel in a rhythm.”

Joel Embiid couldn’t offer much relief. He missed all nine of his field-goal attempts and finished with six points. The Sixers’ two former MVPs combined for 14 points on 3-of-21 shooting.

The reception, at least, was easier to handle.

“At the end of the day, nothing can get worse than Dec. 2, 2010, from a reception standpoint,” James said, recalling his first visit with the Heat. “So, I’ve seen the depths of hell when it comes to reception here, all the way to the heavens above. So, anything in between is easy money.”

The basketball was considerably harder. Still, James wasn’t about to let one miserable performance define the Sixers’ start.

“But listen, if you would have told me our team, through 10 games, first 10 games of the season, would be 8-2, I’d take it.”

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