CLEVELAND _ Emotion may have called for another memorable leap onto the scorer's table, but the timing wasn't right.
So after the Cavaliers thanked LeBron James with a classy video tribute and fans followed with loud cheers and applause during a timeout with 8:09 left in the first quarter Wednesday night, James pointed repeatedly to the crowd as he strode back onto the court from the bench.
Both sides understood the heartfelt message.
"We recognize the fact that certainly this is a big night for the city of Cleveland because a hero has come back," Cavs coach Larry Drew said before the game.
The four-time league MVP who led the Cavs to the 2016 championship and ended the city's 52-year title drought returned to Cleveland for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
There had been angst for days over whether he would receive an angry reception after he left for the second time in free agency after spending 11 of his 15 NBA seasons with the Cavs.
All that speculation went for naught as the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena showered James with appreciation and warmth during a 109-105 Lakers victory.
The only boos came when James went to the free-throw line, but those came in the competitive spirit of the game.
James finished with 32 points, 18 in the first half, along with 14 rebounds and seven assists.
The Cavs (2-14) were led by Cedi Osman's 21 points and seven rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson came off the bench for 20 points and five assists. Tristan Thompson contributed 14 points and 15 rebounds and Collin Sexton added 12 points, three rebounds and two assists.
The Cavs led 99-91 with 5:41 remaining, but the Lakers used an 11-0 run, eight of those by James, to take a 102-99 lead with 1:45 to play. The Cavs had a chance to tie it at 105 with 17 seconds left when Kyle Korver got an open 3-point look off an inbounds pass, but Korver missed. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope followed with two free throws for a 107-102 lead with 15 seconds to go, but Osman countered with a trey with 11.3 seconds left. Caldwell-Pope sealed it with two more free throws.
The Cavs committed a season-low three turnovers; their previous low was nine on Oct. 25 at Detroit.
The Cavs' video included a young James taking a selfie in the stands and him pounding his chest after a big play, along with shots from the championship celebration and parade. That portion ended with the message, "Thank you for what you did on the court. But we all know it's bigger than basketball." That transitioned into a section that showed James at Cavs' charity events, his I Promise School and the home in Akron he worked on for the HGTV show "Rehab Addict." The presentation ended with "Thank You LeBron" written in white on a black screen.
James visited the I Promise School in Akron earlier in the day.
Thompson, who went to four consecutive NBA Finals with James and is one of three Cavs remaining from the 2016 championship team, had a perfect view. Thompson sat on the scorer's table at midcourt, gazing at the Humungotron.
James received a partial standing ovation and loud cheers during pregame introductions. The same was true when he first took the court for warmups.
Lakers coach Luke Walton said his pregame address would mention the hype for James' return and how his players must tune it out.
"There will be a lot of energy in that building," Walton said. "We approach every game the same way, but as far as what it's going to be out there, it's going to be wild."
It may not have been as wild as Walton expected, but the crowd appreciated another chance to watch James' myriad talents. James delivered a huge one-handed slam with one minute remaining in the second quarter that drew "Woos." James came out hot, scoring six of the Lakers' first eight points.
James' second departure was not accompanied by the vitriol that followed James' 2010 decision to take his talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Heat. Most of that was sparked by James making the announcement on national television.
When James left again this summer, he had delivered on his promise to bring the city a championship and elected to move to LA, where his wife and children wanted to live.
Drew said James going to the Lakers didn't take him by surprise.
"I wasn't completely shocked," Drew said. "I know everybody was really hoping that he would return, but Bron is a true pro. He's going to make the best decision and he's going to make the right decision for himself and his family and for his career and that's what he did."
Now James will try to elevate the Lakers as he did the Cavs, which is even more evident from his old team's league-worst record coming in.
"He's done this everywhere he's gone. He is such a dominant force and with his will to win, his will to compete, either you get on board or you don't," Drew said. "He's just one of those guys who has that type presence when he steps on the floor. Very few players have that.
"Back in my playing days, there was Michael (Jordan), there was Magic (Johnson), there was (Larry) Bird. Now today as a coach, you see guys like LeBron, you see guys like Kevin Durant, those guys are special guys. When they step on the floor, they demand the best out of everybody else. Either you get on board or you get left behind because they're not going to wait. Those guys are coming out every single night. Their will to win is tremendous. Their talent and their talent alone, they'll bring guys right along with them."
The Lakers are 10-7, having won eight of their last 10 games. Wednesday marked the last of a three-game trip that saw James pour in 51 points Sunday at Miami.
