For a man who had faced extreme hostility that prompted an NBA security official to want the game stopped, anything under it is a win. LeBron James has experienced two very different sides of Cleveland’s basketball crowd. From loud cheers to ground-shaking boos. Sixteen years later, after choosing Philadelphia over a potential third stint with the Cavaliers, the 41-year-old found a much different atmosphere.
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The contrast didn’t surprise the superstar, who knows exactly how low the reception in Cleveland can go.
LeBron James returned to Cleveland for the first time as a Sixer. And the crowd received their local hero with a warm reception. A bit uncharacteristic. When the reporters asked about it, he recalled THAT night.
“I don’t know because at the end of the day, nothing can get as worse as December 2nd, 2010 from a reception standpoint. So I’ve seen near depths of hell. When it comes to reception, here all the way to the heavens above. So anything in between is easy money,” James said.
What happened on December 2nd, 2010?
The reference was to his first game back in Cleveland after leaving the Cavaliers for Miami through the nationally televised The Decision in July 2010. He turned into a villain overnight for the same fans who hailed him.
The backlash was intense, with fans booing him throughout the night and signs and shirts expressing their anger at the superstar. It reached a point where an NBA security official wanted to call off the game. Interestingly, the special police force assembled on that night had a special code name for James. It was ‘Enemy’
Bill Reiter, then-CBS radio host, once even recalled walkie chatter: “The enemy has left the locker room. I repeat, code name ‘The Enemy’ has left the locker room.”
Despite all that, LeBron James delivered 38 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists as the Heat rolled to a 118-90 victory.
His latest visit came with a different storyline.
James had considered returning to Cleveland in free agency before ultimately signing with the 76ers. The Cavaliers had the opportunity to bring back their former franchise cornerstone. But he chose Philadelphia for what he has described as the final chapter of his career.
The reception was not entirely free of hostility.
According to reports, LeBron James heard scattered boos when he touched the ball during the first half of the game. But the atmosphere was far removed from the relentless hostility of 2010. And he received supportive applause when he left the floor late in the fourth quarter.
The game itself was far less pleasant for Philadelphia. Cleveland secured a 119-95 victory, limiting James to 8 points on 3-of-12 shooting, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc.