LeBron James returns to familiar territory Friday as the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Cleveland Cavaliers. A native of nearby Akron, Ohio, James attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and was selected No. 1 overall by the Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft. He spent 11 seasons with Cleveland across two stints and has often elevated his play there, holding a 9-4 record as an opponent while averaging 29.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game on 54 percent shooting in Cleveland.
James described returning to play in Cleveland as “just special” in November 2023, noting the emotional pull of the arena’s banners. “Stepping back on this floor is always a pretty cool feeling, looking up there and pretty much being a part of all of the banners in this arena,” he said, adding that the No. 1 banner representing the 2016 championship is particularly meaningful.
One of the most notable recent visits came March 21, 2022, when James had 38 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds on 58.6 percent shooting in a 131-120 Lakers win. He scored 17 second-quarter points en route to the triple-double, becoming the sixth player in NBA history with at least three triple-doubles against his former team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That performance marked his third triple-double against Cleveland, all recorded on the road, and included a powerful dunk over former teammate Kevin Love.
On Jan. 25, 2021, James scored 46 points with eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks on 73.1 percent shooting in a 115-108 Lakers victory. A courtside exchange late in the third quarter preceded a 21-point fourth quarter from James, his highest-scoring fourth quarter since 2017. He became the oldest Lakers player with a 40-point game since Kobe Bryant’s 60-point finale; after the win James quipped, “It’s a good thing for him I only come here once.”
Other standout performances include a Nov. 21, 2018 outing in which James had 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists on 55 percent shooting in a 109-105 Lakers win, receiving a standing ovation and contributing to an 11-point scoring/assist run in the fourth quarter to erase an eight-point deficit. In Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat on March 19, 2014, James compiled 43 points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks while shooting 73.7 percent in a 100-96 win.
