Cavaliers get good news on signing LeBron James to return to Cleveland originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
LeBron James returns to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
His Los Angeles Lakers are in town to take on the Cavaliers in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN, and one that will serve as a reminder of James' roots.
The kid from Akron, Ohio, has already had two NBA stints with the Cavs.
The first came after he was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, a stage of his rise to superstardom where he couldn't quite bring a title back home.
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He left for the Miami Heat, temporarily burning bridges with The Decision.
But then after learning to win in Miami, James came back to Cleveland.
Then there were all the NBA Finals heroics, The Block, and "Cleveland, this is for you!"
James brought a title back to the city he always wanted to win in.
So when he left the second time, for the Lakers, it was met with much less animosity, and now, James will be welcomed home with open arms when he plays on the Cleveland court on Wednesday.
There's also the looming possibility of one more return home.
James will be a free agent after the season. If he opts not to retire, he might just have a roster spot waiting with the Cavs.
"Multiple team and league sources told ESPN the Cavaliers would gladly welcome James back this summer if he wanted to return to Cleveland for his 24th NBA season and third stint with the team," ESPN's Dave McMenamim wrote in a new article on Wednesday.
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The article doesn't make clear how James would feel about such an outcome. But it seems like, if he wanted to keep playing, he might appreciate the idea of one more chance in Cleveland with a roster that's already very strong.
The report from McMenamin is certainly enough to get Cavs fans fired up, and they'll likely spend the rest of the season keeping a watchful eye on LeBron, just in case he indicates that a homecoming could be in the works.
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