LeBron James played two different stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was famously drafted No. 1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, playing his first seven seasons with his hometown team. He then made the most impactful free-agent decision in basketball history when he chose to take his talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Heat.
His initial return to play in Cleveland, against the Cavaliers, was anything but friendly. Cavaliers fans were fresh-off burning James’ jerseys in the streets, swearing off their once beloved ‘King’. But then, he made his triumphant return, bringing the Cavaliers their one-and-only NBA championship during his four-year (second) tenure with the team.
In 2018, he made his follow-up return as an opposing player as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. But when “King James” was reportedly considering the Philadelphia 76ers and Cavaliers among other teams this past offseason, he was set to scorn at least one fanbase one more time.
LeBron James Reacts To Fans Response in Return To Cleveland
After choosing to sign with the 76ers, many circled Friday, November 6th on their calendars. This would be the first time James would return to Cleveland (again) as an opponent since opting not to return to play for the Cavaliers for a third time.
The fan’s reactions from the crowd were mixed. They began with a semi-warm welcome during introductions, however, turned to consistent boos throughout the game. James spoke with reporters following the game, expressing an interesting reaction to the way the Cleveland crowd welcomed him back to town.
“At the end of the day, nothing can get as worse as December 2nd, 2010 from a reception standpoint. So I’ve seen the near depths of hell when it comes to reception here all the way to the heavens above. So anything in between is easy money,” James said.
When James mentions December 2nd, 2010, he’s referring to the first time he returned to Cleveland, to play against the Cavaliers as a member of the Heat. It may have been the most passionate boos a basketball player has ever heard on an NBA court in the league’s history.
James and 76ers Will Look To Bounce Back From Loss To Cavaliers
Friday’s 119-95 loss to the Cavaliers was undoubtedly the 76ers worst game of the season. James also put forth his worst performance of the young season. He failed to score in double-digits, finishing with just eight points on 3-for-12 shooting from the field.
It marked just the tenth time in 1,630 regular season games James failed to score in double-digits. It also snapped a streak of 396 games when James scored in double-digits while playing in Cleveland.
James has taken a slight step back as a scorer so far this season. He’s averaging just 14.8 points per game through eight games. He’s still posting his usual statistics otherwise, grabbing 7.4 rebounds and dishing-out 6.9 assists per game. As he approaches 42 years of age, one poor performance shouldn’t write-off how good, and efficient, both James and the 76ers have been this season.
They sit at 8-2 on the season, the best record in the Eastern Conference. And while it’s a small sample-size, they’re playing defense as well as anybody in the league. They’re giving up just 105.2 points per game, ranking third in the NBA behind only the Detroit Pistons (101.8) and New York Knicks (105.1).
James’ first crack at a rebound-performance will come on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. He should find ample opportunity to restart a double-digit scoring-streak, as the Bulls rank dead-last in the league, giving up 129.6 points per game.
LeBron James Has Surprising Reaction To Fan Reception in Return To Cleveland