CAVS EAGER TO FACE LEBRON AFTER PAST SUCCESS WITH HIM
Lakers make their only visit of season to Cleveland today.
JR Smith and DETROIT —
Kyle Korver know what it’s like to go against LeBron James.
Tonight when the 2-13 Cavaliers host the Lakers in LeBron’s return to Cleveland, things will feel a little different. James played with the Cavaliers in the last four seasons, winning the 2016 NBA Finals. He then left Cleveland in the summer for the second time, signing a deal with the Lakers.
Long gone already are the heights of playing with the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and three-time NBA champion.
The Cavaliers are an NBA-worst 2-13 this season after Monday night’s 113-102 loss to the Pistons in Detroit. James and the Lakers are not dominant. But they are playing much better, winning seven of their last 10 and are 9-7, which is good for a share of the seventh seed in the Western Conference with the New Orle- ans Pelicans.
But today will be a different game for both teams.
The Cavs have a video trib- ute to James planned for early in the game. And since James plays for the Lakers, it will be his only trip to Cleveland this season.
And Korver expects a gracious atmosphere inside Quicken Loans Arena.
“I think it’s going to be real positive, overall. And it should be,” Korver said.
He also humorously hinted about the kind of attention James’ return should get.
“It might be sold out. People might be watching on TV,” he joked.
But he also spoke seriously about what playing with James has meant to him. Korver came into the NBA in 2003, the same year as James. And the two have faced off many times.
Today, though, it’ll be dif- ferent. The Cavs acquired Korver in January of 2017 and the talented 3-point shooter got a first-hand look and chance to work with a player his teams had tried to defend for numerous years.
“I think I know the personal side of him now. I always had incredible respect for the basketball side of him. But knowing him as a person, too, I think we’re going to feel that,” Korver said. “He’s the best player in the world, and I think we all have a tremen- dous amount of respect for him, being on the inside and watching his habits on a daily basis, and how he leads and how he truly cares about a lot of people.”
With that knowledge, however, came room for more jokes from Korver.
“We know all of his tendencies and we’re going to take them all away. We’ve got all of his secrets,” he jested. Smith, who played with James longer than Korver did, has similar expectations to what he hopes to see tonight. The Cavs brought Smith in as part of a three- team deal in January of 2015.
Smith also played a role in the Cavaliers beating the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, giving Smith his first champi- onship as well. He, Channing Frye, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson are all that remains from that team.
And even though James is on the other coast, he remains in contact with Smith often.
“I talk to him a lot, not just about basketball, just about life. Obviously, our families got extremely close. So I talk to him often,” Smith said. “It’s going to be fun (today). I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere. I’m sure he’s going to get a great tribute and a welcome from the city. So I’m excited.”