LeBron James' IG post pays tribute to Cleveland after Lakers' win over Cavs
Amid the most efficient shooting season of his 21-year career, LeBron James had a rare off night on Saturday in his return to Northeast Ohio. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar needed 23 shots to score 22 points against his former team, adding six rebounds and six assists. But a dominant second-half performance from Anthony Davis and pair of timely back-cut buckets in the clutch from James propelled the shorthanded Lakers to a 121-115 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers regardless, The King's homecoming taking a backseat to a highly competitive back-and-forth affair between teams hoping to play deep into the postseason.
James, who grew up in nearby Akron, was drafted by the Cavaliers No. 1 overall in 2003 and spent two different stints in Cleveland while winning the organization's only championship in 2016, was celebrated by his former team midway through the first quarter with a tribute video. The four-time champion waved to a fawning crowd as it ended, then made his hands in the shape of a heart as the ovation continued, any bad blood or simmering resentment over James leaving his hometown team twice having long since vanished.
LeBron James tributes time with Cavs after Lakers' win
After the game, James discussed how his time with the Cavs holds a special place in his heart.
“I spent 11 years here and, you know to come back after my Miami stint and win a championship here for this franchise, for this city, I think it was like a 52-year drought or something like that,” he said. “That was just something I'll never forget, you know, no matter how old I get, I'll always remember that moment. So stepping back on this floor is always a pretty cool feeling, looking up (to the rafters) and being a part of pretty much all the banners in this arena. But the number one banner is the one that's sits in the middle.”
James wasn't done remembering his Cleveland days. On Sunday morning, he posted a highlight video of him reaching different scoring thresholds throughout his legendary NBA tenure. The league's most prolific scorer ever, believe it or not, previously became the youngest player to reach 5,000 points, 10,000 points, 25,000 points and 30,000 before breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's hallowed record last February. James, shocker, is Cleveland's all-time leading scorer, too.
The caption on James' Instagram video? His iconic, emotional one-liner after winning the title in 2016, reaching the goal he set out to accomplish upon returning to the Cavs two years earlier by beating the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
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Saturday's game wasn't the last time James will play in Cleveland. He's a borderline MVP candidate right now, still nowhere near the type of precipitous decline that might finally prompt his retirement. James has been largely healthy in the first few weeks of 2023-24, too, finally fully recovered from nagging foot injuries that dogged him the last two seasons. He'll be back in Northeast Ohio next season and perhaps a couple more after that.
Still, don't take anything James does in the twilight of his career for granted. At some point sooner rather than later, the player many believe is basketball's GOAT will have to hang it up.
