LeBron James couldn't find 'good rhythm' in Cleveland return - ESPN

CLEVELAND — The atmosphere in Rocket Arena on Friday night wasn't the «depths of hell» as LeBron James said he experienced when he first returned to this arena wearing a new uniform 16 years ago — but James' play was something out of a hellish nightmare.

James had one of the worst games of his career in Friday night's 119-96 NBA Cup game loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, finishing with eight points on 3-for-12 shooting and seven turnovers.

The porous night ended James' 22-year streak of 10-point games in Cleveland; the last time he scored fewer than 10 points was Dec. 29, 2004, a day before his 20th birthday.

It was James' first time back in Cleveland since leaving his hometown team at the altar alone again this offseason, as he chose to join the Sixers over Cleveland, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat in free agency. «That first day or two, you're just like, you're depressed, quite honestly,» Cavaliers Coach Kenny Atkinson said of losing out on James.

James received a welcome fitting for a King returning home, as most fans in the arena stood to cheer, giving James louder roars than all of the Cleveland Cavaliers starters.

And yet, James seemed indifferent to the welcoming response. After all, he had returned to Cleveland with two other teams — the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers — but that feeling ultimately comes from a fraught night James can never forget.

«At the end of the day, nothing can get worse than December 2, 2010 from a reception standpoint,» James said. «So, I've seen the depths of hell when it comes to reception here, all the way to the heavens above. So, anything in between is easy money.»

On that December night 16 years ago, James returned to Cleveland after choosing to go