LeBron James received a thunderous standing ovation from Cleveland Cavaliers fans during Game 4 of the Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics matchup.

LeBron James attended Game 4 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in Cleveland. The hometown hero, who delivered the city its 2016 NBA Championship, was celebrated enthusiastically by the fans, earning a regal welcome.

There was a period when the thought of LeBron receiving such an ovation in Cleveland after leaving the team was unthinkable. By 2010, James had arguably already become the greatest player in franchise history before his shocking departure to the Miami Heat. The night he left, fans burned his jerseys throughout Ohio, but he mended those bridges by returning to the team in 2014.

James secured a championship for the Cavaliers in 2016, leading them to four consecutive Finals. The three losses included facing a dominant Warriors dynasty, particularly in the 2018 Finals, where James almost single-handedly brought the Cavs to the Finals and solidified his legacy among any remaining skeptics.

When James departed the franchise for the second time in the summer of 2018, everyone understood his decision. Now, he basks in the admiration he rightfully earned as the greatest player in the history of the franchise.

During his time in Cleveland, James won one NBA title, one Finals MVP, and two league MVPs, averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

The Celtics Once Assembled a Superteam to Challenge LeBron James
As the Cavaliers and Celtics are locked in a playoff battle, it’s impossible to overlook LeBron’s remarkable impact in past series between these teams. According to league insider Jeff Benedict, the Celtics specifically built a superteam to challenge LeBron James.

“Nobody understood superteams more than Pat Riley and Danny Ainge, and Ainge is up running the Celtics, Riley’s down in Miami running the Heat,” Benedict said. “The whole thing with [Kevin] Garnett and [Ray] Allen and [Paul] Pierce, what’s he doing? He’s trying to beat LeBron. He’s trying to make sure that the Celtics can beat LeBron because he knows how good LeBron is.”

James reached the NBA Finals in 2007, prompting the Celtics to assemble their big three, defeating James’ Cavaliers in 2008 and 2010. James answered this challenge by forming an even stronger superteam in Miami, where he never lost to the Celtics again.

LeBron delivered some iconic performances against the Celtics, notably in a Miami Heat jersey, including his legendary 2012 Game 6 showing where he scored 45 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to turn a 2-3 series deficit into a seven-game series victory.

The 2024 Cavaliers fell to a 3-1 deficit after Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell missed Game 4 of their series against the Celtics. After overcoming an injured Heat team in Round 1, they are close to defeating a weakened Cavaliers squad in Round 2. They will face either an inexperienced Pacers or a depleted Knicks team in the Conference Finals, making them heavy favorites to advance to the NBA Finals from the East.