On May 13, LeBron James caused a stir by attending a Cleveland Cavaliers playoff game against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers were once LeBron’s team. He played for them for many years and brought them their first-ever championship in 2016.
Well, LeBron wasn’t just watching from a suite, he was courtside, with cameras catching him holding a bottle of what appeared to be expensive wine. There were even reports of a to-go coffee cup and water bottles with him.
Despite playing for the Los Angeles Lakers now, LeBron received a warm welcome from the Cleveland crowd. The team even gave him a shoutout on the Jumbotron.
The #Cavs welcome back Northeastern Ohio’s prodigal son and the roof almost blew off the arena when they showed LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/71uLoV99Bu
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) May 13, 2024
Note: The Celtics won 109-102 in Cleveland by taking a 3-1 series lead. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 33 and 27 points respectively. Darius Garland paced the Cavs with 25 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Boston’s strong showing.
LeBron James’s relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers is marked by two distinct stints.
First Stint (2003-2010): King James was drafted No. 1 overall in 2003. He lived up to the hype and led Cleveland to several playoff appearances but without much postseason success. In 2010, LeBron decided to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat Years (2010-2014): LeBron joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and won two NBA championships (2012, 2013). However, there was always a sense of unfinished business in Cleveland.
Cleveland Cavaliers Return (2014-2018): LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2014. LeBron, along with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, formed a new “Big Three“. The journey wasn’t easy. They faced off against the Golden State Warriors dynasty in the Finals four consecutive years (2015-2018).
In 2016, Cleveland finally defeated the star-studded Warriors and brought the city its first NBA championship.
In 2018, LeBron left Cleveland again, this time for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he remains a beloved figure in Cleveland.
LeBron James’ most recent playoff exit came in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs with the Los Angeles Lakers. They were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in a hard-fought series, losing 4-1.
After the loss, James expressed his desire to focus on spending time with family and preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics with Team USA.
LeBron has a player option for the 2024-25 season with the Lakers. There’s speculation about his future – he could opt-in, negotiate a new deal, or even test free agency.
