CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James isn’t going to miss his lone visit to Cleveland this season.
Despite tweaking his already sore left ankle during the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday, James told reporters that he plans on suiting up against the Cavaliers Tuesday night.
“I’ll be ready,” said James, who has played 11 total seasons in Cleveland, which covers two separate stints.
James is officially listed as probable. Same goes for star center Anthony Davis -- the newly honored Western Conference Player of the Week, who is dealing with lower back tightness.
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Tuesday’s stop in Cleveland is part of the Lakers’ six-game road trip. After getting off to a horrendous start, the Lakers are surging into Tuesday’s nationally televised showdown. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games, including the first two matchups on this road trip -- Milwaukee on Friday and Washington Sunday. They are now 10-12, turning their season around thanks in large part to Davis’ MVP-level brilliance.
Still, a trip to Cleveland puts James, not Davis, in the spotlight. It’s always a spectacle when he returns home and Tuesday should be no different.
The 37-year-old forward is averaging 26.1 points on 46.6% from the field to go with 8.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists.
In the first meeting against the Cavs -- a 114-100 Lakers loss -- James tallied 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes. It was Cleveland’s first win against LeBron -- at least in a game he actually played -- since the superstar joined the Lakers in 2018. After that matchup, James gushed over his old team.
“They did a great job in the offseason of picking up a big-time player,” James said of the Cavs, who traded for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell in September. “I think we saw last year what kind of team they could become. Then the injuries happen and they end up slipping and having to play in the play-in. We know what happened there. But they have a really good team, a great coach, well-balanced and a bunch of kids on their team that seem like they just want to play ball.
“I’m looking at their roster and don’t see too many guys all over social media, showing off that they’ve got this and they’ve got that. Just a bunch of guys that come to work and just want to play ball. It’s probably a joy for a coach and coaching staff, just knowing you have a bunch of kids that want to come in and play ball and a grandpa (Kevin Love) that looks over everybody.”
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