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LeBron James returns to Cleveland as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time on Wednesday night, as the Lake Show take on the struggling Cavaliers inside Quicken Loans Arena.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including all the ESPN channels. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
ESPN is included in the “Sling Orange” bundle. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
The Lakers, after an uneven start to the season, have won five of their last six to improve to 9-7 and climb into eighth place in the West. The Cavs have won just two of their first 15 games and have a narrow half-game lead on the Phoenix Suns in the race for Zion Williamson or RJ Barrett.
In any other scenario, this would be a mostly inconsequential NBA game on a random Wednesday in November.
But that’s not the case here, as LeBron James is set to make his first return to Cleveland after signing with the Lakers in the summer. Those who remember James’ first game in Cleveland after departing the Cavs for the Miami Heat in 2010 will know how big of a deal this can be. In that one, the crowd was in a frenzy all night long, the animosity and boos were dialed up to level 15, batteries and other things were hurled onto the court, and it was unlike anything the NBA had previously witnessed.
“It was something that nobody had ever seen before,” James recalled about that game. “Everybody knew the emotions behind it. Cable television made sure that they captured every moment. It was an eerie feeling, just going back. It was an uncomfortable feeling going back because of the situation. And I knew how up in bunches everybody was.”
It’s unlikely things will be nearly as hostile this time around. While “The Decision” helped add to the animosity in 2010, James handled his free agency in a much more low-key manner this time around. The fact he left the Cavs with a championship this time around will certainly help, too. In fact, he’ll receive a video tribute.
Still, LeBron isn’t concerned with what the reaction from the crowd will be like.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t try to put too much into it. I will go out there and see if we can keep this thing going. I think we are playing some really good ball right now.”
The Lakers are favored by 10, so LeBron, who’s averaging 33.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks over his last five, should have no trouble putting on a show for his former home crowd.