The atmosphere should be electric for that game.
LeBron James’ Cleveland Return Date Reported for Early 2026 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
It's been over two decades since LeBron James turned pro, and he's still better than most NBA players. The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player is set to embark on his 23rd season in the league, as he picked up his $52.63 million player option for the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James is about to turn 41 years old in December, but he showed in the 2024-25 season that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank by averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds through 70 games while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and posting a 57.1 effective field goal percentage.
Despite all the mileage in his body, James is ready to contribute significantly to the Lakers, who are in the early phase of their transition to having Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic as the rock on which the franchise is built.
LeBron James, Lakers visiting Cleveland in January 2026
Given that he has not signed a new extension with the Lakers, it's unclear with which team exactly James will finish his legendary and Basketball Hall of Fame-worthy career in the NBA. Is there a possibility that the 21-time NBA All-Star will find his way back to his original NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, before he calls it a career?
That's technically possible, but what's certain is that eyes will be on the four-time NBA champion when he and the Lakers play the Cavs on the road in the 2025-26 campaign, which could also be his last in his old stomping grounds.
Although the Lakers don't have a full schedule yet for the 2025-26 season, Dave McMenamin of ESPN has gathered info that the Los Angeles will play the Cavaliers on Jan. 28 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
McMenamin Wrote on X: "The Los Angeles Lakers play on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 28, sources told ESPN. It is LeBron James’ lone trip back to The Land on the schedule and this one comes 10 years after capturing the 2016 NBA championship with the Cavs."
How did LeBron James do in his most recent game in Cleveland?
James, who was taken first overall by the Cavs in the 2003 NBA draft, played in both games against Cleveland in the 2024-25 campaign.
He had 26 points on a 9-for-13 shooting from the floor to go with six rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action in a 134-110 loss to Donovan Mitchell and company on Oct. 30. Despite the loss, the game itself was memorable for the James family because Bronny James got his first NBA bucket with a little over two minutes left in regulation.
The Lakers faced off against the Cavs again on Dec. 31, with LA suffering a 122-110 defeat at
Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. James had 23 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a block in a losing effort.
Related: LeBron James Sends Clear Message on Shedeur Sanders Amid Browns Debut
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
