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CLEVELAND – The Los Angeles Lakers are not a big team, but they employ the world's greatest player. They seem to understand the potential benefits of such an arrangement. LeBron James can compensate for many problems: dull defense, questionable decisions, growing pains
"He comes and plays the pure game," said coach Luke Walton.
Wednesday night, the difference between his presence (at the Lakers) and his absence (at the Cavaliers) was evident when he returned to Cleveland, where fans came to the Quicken Loans Arena to pay tribute to a bygone era, that of LeBron . Without him, the Cavaliers are a bad team, one of the worst in the league. James feels for them.
"A lot of guys have been working hard to get to where they are in their careers," James said after the Lakers victory 109-05, and you never want your friends to be in the same situation. are there. But as professionals, they always give everything they've got.
After settling in Los Angeles in free agency during the summer, James now belongs to the Lakers – or maybe they own him. They are not championship candidates, not yet, but they win most games they should win and they learn as they go.
"That's what's going on," Walton said, "and it's good to see it happen, but it's still the beginning of what we ultimately need to achieve."
Their victory against the Cavaliers is the latest example, an imperfect effort that James has repaired by collecting 32 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. The Lakers, who have risen to 10-7, have won six of their last seven games. Their progress was visible in front of former fans, teammates and coaches of James, who know his ability to raise those around him.
"He did that everywhere he went," said Cavaliers coach Larry Drew. "He is a dominant force."
The game – presented as a homecoming – was free from the vitriol that had been directed against James in 2010, when he did his first trip to Cleveland as a freshly hit member of the Miami Heat. At the time, James and his teammates feared for their safety. Skirmishes broke out in the stands. James scored 38 points in an unbalanced win.
On Wednesday, the crowd was warm and reserved a warm welcome, even though it was tinged with sadness. No one booed. Nobody has thrown anything away. People have just missed it.
Jay Ventura, 23, and Natalie Miller, 20, students in Akron, Ohio, James' hometown, bought tickets for the match in the summer, when they are available. They wore jerseys James half Lakers and half Cavaliers, homemade tributes to their favorite player.
"It's a little bittersweet," says Ventura, "but it's different now. He did everything he had said that he was going to do for us, you know? He kept his promise. "
This promise was held in 2016: a championship, the first and only of the Cavaliers. Excerpts from their title were included in a video montage played by the team in Wednesday's first game, shortly after the reminder that fans were entitled to free chicken nuggets if the Cavaliers scored at least 100 points. (All was not lost in the end.)
In any case, James was touched by the gesture. He saw only part of the editing – Walton, he said, was putting on a play in the caucus, and James did not want to spoil it – but he raised his arms to recognize the crowd after the timeout and clasped his hands to each other. a sign of gratitude.
"I appreciate these fans," he said, "as much as they like me."
His departure from Cleveland reinforced his greatness, if that is possible. The Cavaliers, just a few months away from a fourth consecutive trip to N.B.A. final, are 2-14. To be fair, Kevin Love has missed almost every game except four because of a foot operation – but that remains a dismal scene here. Prior to Wednesday 's match, Drew had to respond to JR Smith' s recent accusation that the Cavaliers were actively trying to lose to improve their chances of being among the top picks in next year 's draft. other terms. Smith is no longer with the team.
"My guys play hard," said Drew, "and when they do not play very hard, I make them realize that they're not playing hard."
The Lakers, however, improve from week to week. Forgotten is their early-season fight with the Houston Rockets. James' troubles since the free throw line are fading, even though they remain a problem. It seems almost quaint to remember that the team's chairman, Magic Johnson, scolded Walton when the Lakers stumbled on a score of 3-5.
Their season was particularly easy, and after surviving the suspensions stemming from the aforementioned fight, the Lakers got used to life without playmaker Rajon Rondo, who broke his hand last week. The addition of veterans center Tyson Chandler has helped, as he is a respected voice in the locker room and a fierce defender.
But the Lakers are inexperienced and Chandler emphasized the importance of young players like Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball as the team progresses.
"All of these games are good because we are so young," Chandler said. "The core of our team and the decisive factor are our young, our young players: Kuz, Lonzo, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart. They will decide in the extent of what will really be our season. It will be their development. "
Of course, it's useful for the Lakers to have James's best mentor, whose tough love brand can spotlight the distinction between abrasive and efficient. But he has promised to be patient this season and Walton has been careful to highlight the players who are struggling in the shadow of James.
After Wednesday's game, for example, Walton praised Ball, the starting goaltender on the team, who finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
"I loved that," Walton said. "It was one of my favorite parts of our game: how much he attacked the rim, even the ones he did not finish. I do not care. See him down in the mountains, be physical and play the game, he is so good at it. To see him do this kind of thing was really good for us. "
In the locker room, James joined his teammates for a post-match meal including burgers from Swensons, a chain originally from Akron.
"We grew up with these things," said Randy Mims, James's childhood friend and longtime confidante.
James was wearing a t-shirt bearing the inscription "All is well, never better" before leaving the arena for the airport and a long flight home.
Marc Stein contributed to the report.
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