Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James never really left Cleveland, even after he left the city’s team. That reality emerged recently, when the Cavaliers hosted their franchise great, and what should have been a routine moment of teammate support spiraled into a storm of its own. Cavs sophomore Jaylon Tyson seemingly disrespected James when praising teammate Donovan Mitchell, and now, James’ inner circle has spoken on it.

“Look, I know his intent,” he told co-host Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast. “His intent was, ‘I’m just coming off a battle. We won. I played well. This is the premier guy on this team. He’s my teammate.'”

Paul stressed the idea of intent over optics, noting that young players, like the sophomore Tyson, usually aren’t equipped to navigate how loaded seemingly simple comments can be. Combine that with the fact that his were about James in Cleveland, and Paul’s point becomes much clearer.

“This is Donovan Mitchell’s city now,” Tyson said back then. “When he comes back here, we’re going to make sure that everybody roots for him like they did for [James]. This is his city.”

Donovan Mitchell appeared visibly uncomfortable in the moment, and while he didn’t directly correct Tyson on camera right then, the situation escalated enough that Tyson addressed it in his postgame press conference.

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He walked it back, clarified his intent was purely to hype up his teammate and current leader, and explicitly apologized if it offended anyone. In his own words “There was no disrespect there. I didn’t want to disrespect or step on nobody’s toes. That’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game.” Adding, “Obviously, I was a Cavs fan growing up because of him (LeBron).”

Paul immediately pointed out that he didn’t think Tyson was being malicious, and that he corrected himself afterward, which shows his character and willingness to take responsibility.

Tyson clarified during a solo interview that he meant no slight towards James, and that he was simply backing up his teammate. “I don’t wanna take anything away from him, I just wanna give Don his flowers. That was my biggest goal in it.”

It highlights how sensitive LeBron’s legacy remains in Cleveland, even years later.

Within the organization, the issue was as good as closed as soon as it started, especially because they have their focus on another James issue.

Why the Cleveland Cavaliers Never Stop Being an Option for LeBron James

Around the league, Cleveland is not treated as a former stop for LeBron James the same way it is for other legends. It almost feels like the default endgame, especially since James is a native of the area.

ESPN‘s recent reporting on his final season there, 2017-18, reframed the year not just as his statistical peak, but the moment James proved that he could drag a flawed Cavs roster to the peak, but tucked within was a tidbit not many saw coming.

According to the report, multiple team and league sources have confirmed that the Cavs would welcome James back to his former team if he wanted to return for his third stint this summer for a record-setting 24th NBA season.

LeBron, now 41 and in his record 23rd NBA season with the Lakers, has openly said post-game that this could “very well” be his last season overall – he hasn’t decided on retirement yet, but the emotional weight was clear.

During the game, the Cavs aired a tribute video highlighting iconic moments like his 25 straight points in the 2007 ECF against Detroit, and LeBron was visibly moved, tearing up on the bench. He later told reporters he was just trying to soak it all in without taking a moment for granted, acknowledging the possibility that it’s his farewell to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers organization and fanbase showed massive respect and love that night—despite the blowout, the tribute, the reception, and the context, the message screamed “embrace” rather than bitterness over past departures (2009 to Miami, 2018 to LA). It’s reminiscent of how Miami handled Dwyane Wade’s 2018-19 farewell tour with the Heat: Wade announced it as his final season (“One Last Dance”).

The Heat gave him massive home tributes, including emotional videos, letters from Pat Riley, celebrity nods (John Legend/Gatorade ad), and a huge sendoff in his last home game vs. Philadelphia, where he dropped 30 points and the arena erupted.

Cleveland has the blueprint to do something similar if LeBron chooses to return for a 24th season in 2026-27 via free agency.

It’s obviously not the cleanest basketball fit, but the narrative couldn’t be better. The Cleveland represents control over the ending for James, where his legacy is implicitly understood.

Moments like Tyson’s comments and the surrounding backlash just goes to show how emotionally charged the topic still is, not because James is pushing his way back, but because his presence means more than just basketball to both fans and players.