Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James never really left Cleveland, even after he left the city’s team. That reality emerged recently, when the Cavaliers hosted their franchise great, and what should have been a routine moment of teammate support spiraled into a storm of its own. Cavs sophomore Jaylon Tyson seemingly disrespected James when praising teammate Donovan Mitchell, and now, James’ inner circle has spoken on it.

“Look, I know his intent,” he told co-host Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast. “His intent was, ‘I’m just coming off a battle. We won. I played well. This is the premier guy on this team. He’s my teammate.'”

Paul stressed the idea of intent over optics, noting that young players, like the sophomore Tyson, usually aren’t equipped to navigate how loaded seemingly simple comments can be. Combine that with the fact that his were about James in Cleveland, and Paul’s point becomes much clearer.

What Tyson actually said back then was quite clear: he was comparing Mitchell’s impact to James’. Regardless of how apt the comparison was, there was no sense of disrespect, and Tyson even apologized for potentially offending anyone with his words.

“This is Donovan Mitchell’s city now,” Tyson said back then. “When he comes back here, we’re going to make sure that everybody roots for him like they did for [James]. This is his city.”

Paul immediately pointed out that he didn’t think Tyson was being malicious, and that he corrected himself afterward, which shows his character and willingness to take responsibility. Tyson clarified during a solo interview that he meant no slight towards James, and that he was simply backing up his teammate.

Within the organization, the issue was as good as closed as soon as it started, especially because they have their focus on another James issue.

Why the Cleveland Cavaliers Never Stop Being an Option for LeBron James

Around the league, Cleveland is not treated as a former stop for LeBron James the same way it is for other legends. It almost feels like the default endgame, especially since James is a native of the area.

ESPN‘s recent reporting on his final season there, 2017-18, reframed the year not just as his statistical peak, but the moment James proved that he could drag a flawed Cavs roster to the peak, but tucked within was a tidbit not many saw coming.

According to the report, multiple team and league sources have confirmed that the Cavs would welcome James back to his former team if he wanted to return for his third stint this summer for a record-setting 24th NBA season.

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It’s obviously not the cleanest basketball fit, but the narrative couldn’t be better. The Cleveland represents control over the ending for James, where his legacy is implicitly understood.

Moments like Tyson’s comments and the surrounding backlash just goes to show how emotionally charged the topic still is, not because James is pushing his way back, but because his presence means more than just basketball to both fans and players.