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LeBron James made his first trip back to Cleveland as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, and Cavs fans made sure he still felt the love at Rocket Arena.
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James was greeted with his customary cheers from the Cleveland crowd when he was announced in the starting lineup as a visiting Sixers player for the first time, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The warm reception was a familiar one for the Akron native, who has been showered with cheers in Cleveland on past visits with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is not hard to understand why. James spent 11 seasons across two stints with the Cavaliers after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
During his second run, he delivered the city’s first major professional sports championship in 52 years, leading Cleveland back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
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This homecoming carried a little extra intrigue, too. James revealed last month that reuniting with the Cavaliers was a real option for him during free agency this summer before he ultimately signed with Philadelphia. “
But it was in consideration, for sure,” James said.
The NBA all-time scoring leader explained that he was “trying to decide where I wanted to go with the rest of my career.” He chose the Sixers over the Cavs, Warriors, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves, signing a two-year deal.
The move has paid off so far, with James teaming up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown to form one of the league’s most talented cores. Philadelphia entered Friday’s game with an 8-1 record, the best in the Eastern Conference, and the team’s last game against Cleveland was one to remember.
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In the Sixers’ home opener on Oct. 22, Philadelphia erased a 29-point deficit to beat the Cavaliers 114-106, outscoring Cleveland 69-37 over the final two quarters. It was the largest comeback win of James’ career, and he chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds.
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The Cavaliers, meanwhile, came into the rematch at 4-4 after back-to-back losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
No matter what jersey he wears, James remains a beloved figure in Cleveland, and Friday’s reception was proof that his legacy in Northeast Ohio is not going anywhere.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
