LeBron, Halloween and two dates he always circles during the NBA season - ESPN

When the NBA schedule comes out each summer, LeBron James has several dates he immediately zeroes in on.

Playing on Christmas Day is a given — this year he will play in the signature holiday game for the 19th time, already a record. Then there's his birthday, Dec. 30, a day he's played and thrived on dating back to high school. One of the most memorable birthdays was just two years ago in 2022, the day he turned 38, when he scored 47 points in a win against the Atlanta Hawks.

But there are two more dates he circles. The first is Halloween, James' favorite holiday since he was a child. A lifelong fan of scary movies, James has helped make dressing up as an adult cool over the past two decades. His elaborate costumes often go viral and become the centerpieces of lavish parties he throws for teammates and friends.

The other date, since 2010, has been his return home to Cleveland, where he started his NBA career. Ironically, his first game back in northeast Ohio after he left for the Miami Heat — Dec. 2, 2010, the date is burned in his memory — was one of the more unpleasant moments of his career.

But that has long been pushed to the side. The visits evolved from vitriol sessions to recruiting trips — which started happening at the end of his Heat tenure — to annual lovefests with Cleveland fans appreciating their favorite hometown hero, who brought the Cavaliers their only NBA title in 2016.

That makes this season particularly special as Halloween and James' return to the Cleveland Cavaliers nearly intersect for the first time in the 11 seasons he's played with the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers' annual visit to Cleveland is Wednesday, Oct. 30 — one night before Halloween. As James returns to the city he called