Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James appeared to have an emotional reaction to the Cleveland Cavaliers' tribute video for him prior to a matchup between the two teams on Wednesday night.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Wednesday that the Cavaliers would "gladly welcome" James back to the organization if he chooses to depart the Lakers in free agency during the 2026 offseason.
The 21-time All-Star has spent 11 of his 23 years in the NBA with Cleveland.
The Cavaliers selected James with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, leading to his legendary tenure as a member of the organization across two stints from 2003-10 and 2014-18.
He sits atop Cleveland's all-time points, rebounds, assists and steals leaderboards.
James earned two of his four MVP awards with the Cavaliers and helped them capture their first championship in franchise history during the 2015-16 season.
He's currently set to enter free agency during the upcoming offseason after picking up a $52.6 million player option for his 2025-26 campaign.
James' long-term future in Los Angeles is uncertain, as it isn't difficult to imagine the team choosing to build around 26-year-old superstar Luka Dončić moving forward.
The relationship be tween the NBA's all-time leading scorer and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss could also factor into his decision in free agency.
ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported Jan. 21 that Buss "privately grumbled" about what she felt was "James' outsized ego and the overt control that he and Klutch Sports" exerted over the organization on occasion.
It's worth noting that James didn't seem to be bothered by the rumors when speaking to reporters on Thursday, though.
The Cavaliers currently own a 28-20 record after wrapping up a 64-18 finish last season. While they've been competitive as of late, they've also suffered second-round playoff losses in each of the past two years and could look to upgrade their roster in the offseason.
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