Lakers superstar LeBron James may have just played his final game in Cleveland on Wednesday night. To honor the future Hall of Famer, the Cavaliers played a heartfelt tribute video during the first quarter of the matchup.
LeBron James Sheds Tears During Video
James was moved to tears during the video when it showed highlights of his legendary performance in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, when he scored 48 points to defeat the Detroit Pistons in double overtime.
Since James is in his 23rd NBA season and will turn 42 later this year, that could have been his last game in Cleveland. After all, James wasn’t listed among the NBA All-Star Game starters for the first time since 2004.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 29, 2026
“I’m just trying to take everything in, not take the moments for granted,” he said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Because it could be [my last season]. I obviously haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be.
“I think it just comes from just being present. And I was just more present today than I’ve been [in past trips to Cleveland]. [It] definitely got to me a little bit, for sure.”
James entered the night with a 9-3 record in Cleveland as a visiting player with the Lakers and Heat.
In those 12 games, the four-time MVP had never scored fewer than 21 points. Wednesday’s outing, however, was one of his worst games of the season with 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting and six turnovers.
James Mulling NBA Retirement
Feeling sentimental earlier in the game likely affected James’ performance.
“I think there’s certainly emotions always for him coming back here,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “You could see that being back here is very important to him. And you know, there’s a human element to all of this.”
According to McMenamin, while James said he hasn’t thought about whether he wants a retirement tour to follow an announcement, the four-time NBA champ knows he’ll have to make a decision soon.
“Obviously, the question gets asked more and the thought creeps in my mind more at 41 years old of when the end is and where’s the finish line for us to hang this thing up,” James said.
“But the drive is how much, like, juice I can squeeze out of this orange. … I’m in a battle with Father Time and I’m taking it personal, and I am going to see how many more times I [can] be victorious over him.”
Through 29 appearances (all starts) this season, James is averaging 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 33.2 minutes per game while shooting 50.2% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point territory.
The Lakers visit the Wizards on Friday.
