"Being a part of pretty much all the banners": LeBron James boasts about laurels with Cavaliers after 'special' return
LeBron James will forever be grateful to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The LA Lakers star spoke of his laurels with the Cavaliers, his former home team, after notching up a win against them. The Lakers had the better of the Donovan Mitchell-led Cavaliers with a 121-115 win on Saturday, and James shared his thoughts on the special welcome Cleveland had for him.
The team compiled a tribute video with some of James' most iconic moments during his two stints in Cleveland. This was also his first game back at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in NBA history this past February. And James was grateful for being part of his old team's success in the league.
“It’s always special to come back here… I spent 11 years here," James said. "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.
"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 sits in the middle.”
Saturday also marked the opening of the LeBron James Home Court Museum in Akron. The tour of the museum will take fans on a multimedia journey through his life and basketball career.
LeBron James and the Lakers win despite the former's erratic shooting night
Despite the Lakers notching up a win, it wasn't exactly a great night for LeBron James. He finished with 22 points, shooting just 8-of-23 from the field and 1-of-9 from the 3-point range. He had eight points in the final stretch and totaled 36 minutes of playing time. James also had an off moment when he was slapped with a tech for pulling up on the rim after a dunk.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 32 points and 13 rebounds, Austin Reaves contributed 15 points off the bench, and in the end, it was a six-point win for LA.
The game against the Cavaliers was the first of a four-game road trip. Up next for them will be a marquee clash against the Philadelphia 76ers. On Wednesday, they play the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James and the Lakers will cap off their road trip with another interesting matchup against the OKC Thunder on Thursday.