CLEVELAND – LeBron James attended Cleveland's playoff game against the Boston Celtics on Monday night, an appearance that is sure to spark conversation about the superstar's future.
James, who is eligible to opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and become a free agent this summer, played two stints in Cleveland. He led the Cavs to their only NBA championship in 2016 before leaving two years later.
LeBron James thanks the crowd at the Cavaliers' playoff game Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images
James, the league's leading scorer, has a residence near his hometown of Akron. He has returned to Cleveland many times since his departure in 2018, but has not attended a Cavs game.
James arrived right as the game began and took a seat on the sidelines with his wife Savannah and agent Rich Paul.
He received a thunderous ovation when he was shown on the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse scoreboard during a timeout. James greeted the crowd and then imitated King James placing a crown on his head.
James had a short postseason this year as the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the defending champion Denver Nuggets. He made it clear after the series that he left his options open and had not made any decisions about his next move.
James, 39, has spoken in the past about playing alongside his eldest son Bronny, who played at USC last season and recently declared for this year's draft.
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On Monday, the younger James was cleared by league doctors to attend the pre-draft combine in Chicago after suffering cardiac arrest last summer.
James is a 20-time All-Star, four-time MVP and league champion. He was selected No. 1 overall by Cleveland and spent seven seasons with the Cavs before signing with Miami as a free agent in 2010.
He returned to the Cavs in 2014 and led them to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances – all against Golden State.
The Cavaliers lost to the Celtics 109-102 and fell 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
