James, who may opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and become a free agency this summer, spent two seasons in Cleveland. He guided the Cavs to their only NBA championship in 2016, then left two years later.

 
LeBron James thanks the crowd at Monday night’s Cavaliers playoff game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images.James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, lives near his hometown of Akron. He has been to Cleveland several times since departing in 2018, but has yet to attend a Cavaliers game.

James arrived just as the game began, taking a courtside seat with his wife, Savannah, and agent Rich Paul.

During a timeout, he was featured on the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse scoreboard and received a tremendous ovation. James acknowledged the crowd before pretending to put a crown on his head.

 

James had a brief postseason this year, as the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. Following the series, he made it obvious that he was keeping his options open and had not made any decisions about his future move.
James, 39, has already discussed playing alongside his oldest son, Bronny, who played at USC last season and has declared for this year’s draft.
The league’s doctors approved the younger James to participate in the pre-draft combine in Chicago on Monday, following his heart episode last summer.
James has 20 All-Star appearances, four league MVP awards, and a championship. He was picked first overall by Cleveland and played seven seasons for the Cavs until signing as a free agency with Miami in 2010.
He returned to the Cavs in 2014, leading them to four straight NBA Finals appearances, all against Golden State.