LeBron James might have chosen to join the Philadelphia 76ers instead of returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it was all love in "The Land."
James and the 76ers took on the Cavaliers in Cleveland for an NBA Cup gameon Friday, Nov. 6. and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming for the 24-year veteran and Ohio native.
In the tunnel to the locker room, there wasa video board that said "Welcome Home LeBron!" with an image of him holding up Cleveland's 2016 NBA Finals trophy. During the Prime pregame show, a young fan held up James' St. Vincent–St. Mary High School jersey, and other fans were shown wearing Cavaliers jerseys with James' name on them.
Just before tipoff, James did his signature chalk toss and fans were crowding around with their phones
to record the moment. Avideo from ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin on Xshowed that as the 76ers were being announced, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid received boos but James was greeted with cheers.
LeBron James greeted by his customary cheers from the Cleveland crowd when announced in the starting lineup as a visiting Philadelphia 76ers player for the first time pic.twitter.com/y0SFp1Kohd
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 7, 2026
This offseason, James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he was going to leave the team. The Cavaliers were among the teams that the NBA's all-time leading scorer was considering. The 76ers won the battle with James crediting Tyrese Maxey for helping him make his decision.
James' 76ers teammate Dean Wade also joined Philadelphia this offseason after spending the first seven seasons of his career in Cleveland. He spoke to the media ahead of the game about his memories facing James in his hometown.
"In my seven years, anytime that LeBron came back it was just a madhouse. It was crazy," he said in a video posted by McMenamin on X. "The fans were awesome. So I expect that to be what tonight's going to be like. Super loud, a lot of energy. I think it's gonna be a fun night."
According to the Prime pregame show, James hasn't beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland since November 25, 2023 when the Lakers won 121-115. He had 22 points, six assists and six rebounds.
James grew up in Akron, Ohio and joined the Cavaliers out of high school as the No.1 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He spent the first seven seasons of his career in Cleveland before leaving to join the Miami Heat in "The Decision" in 2010. After winning two championships in South Beach, he returned for the 2014-15 season. He guided the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016 when he was named Finals MVP. James left again in 2018 to join the Lakers and won his fourth championship in 2020.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James gets warm welcome in Cleveland as 76ers face Cavaliers
