LeBron James is no longer a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but he made his mark on the franchise during his eight years with it. He consistently played at a high level during that time, even if certain aspects of his game had clearly slipped, and he delivered an NBA championship in 2020.
As we take a look at James’ greatest performances as a member of the Lakers in chronological order, we go back to a game during which James returned to one of his old stomping grounds and delivered a big performance.
Remember this, Cleveland?
James has had something of a habit of serving up big performances on the road against his former teams. On Jan. 25, 2021, he took the court at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse against the Cleveland Cavaliers and reminded fans there what they used to enjoy from him on a regular basis.
He, of course, played for the Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. On this night, he was in his bag.
The Akron, Ohio native poured in 17 points in the first quarter to put Los Angeles ahead 34-23 at the end of the period. At halftime, he had 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting as L.A. held a 65-58 lead.
After mustering just two points in the third quarter, James continued his onslaught, putting in 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting in the fourth quarter as the Lakers outscored Cleveland 28-19. That was good enough for a 115-108 victory.
James, the local hero, ended up with 46 points on 19-of-26 overall shooting and 7-of-11 from 3-point range, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. The victory gave the Lakers a 14-4 record, which was the best mark in the NBA at that point.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, it wouldn’t be their year. In mid-February, Anthony Davis suffered an Achilles injury and had to sit out for over two months. Then on March 20, James severely sprained his ankle and was sidelined for several weeks himself. Even worse, in Game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs versus the Phoenix Suns, Davis strained his groin, effectively ending the season for him.
Those injuries prevented the Lakers from repeating as world champions. Instead of earning another Larry O’Brien Trophy, they were eliminated by Phoenix in six games.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James’ greatest games with the Lakers: Big return to Cleveland
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
