LeBron James was very excited when the Cavaliers showed a video with the highlights of his performance in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons.
CLEVELAND — It’s always a special moment for LeBron James to return to Northeast Ohio.
The 41-year-old was even more excited than usual on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James was moved to tears during a timeout, with 7:46 left in the first quarter, when the Cavaliers showed a highlight reel of his performance in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons, where he scored 25 consecutive points.
The Cavaliers won that game 109-107 in double overtime, taking the lead in the series, with a stellar performance by James, who finished with 48 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. They defeated the Pistons in Cleveland in the next game to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in their history.
James wiped away tears with a towel after the video ended.
This was the first time the Cavaliers honored James with a video from that game. Typically, they had shown clips from Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, when Cleveland won its first championship, or the moment the Akron native was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft.
James played 11 seasons in two stints with the Cavs. He left as a free agent in 2018 to join the Lakers.
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