National Basketball Association

Chris Broussard: Rich Paul let Lakers know about LeBron's Cavaliers playoff game plans

Updated May. 30, 2024 4:00 p.m. ET

LeBron James attended Cleveland's playoff game against the Boston Celtics on Monday night, an appearance certain to drive conversation about the superstar's future.

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James, who can opt out of his contact with the Los Angeles Lakers and become a free agent this summer, played two stints in Cleveland. He led the Cavs to their only NBA championship in 2016 before leaving two years later.

The league's career scoring leader, James has maintained a home near his hometown of Akron. He's come back to Cleveland many times since leaving in 2018, but has not attended any Cavs games.

James arrived just as the game began and took a courtside seat along with his wife, Savannah, and agent Rich Paul.

He received a thunderous ovation when shown on the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse scoreboard during a timeout.

Speculation immediately emerged that James' actions hinted at a possible return to Cleveland despite reports he plans to remain with the Lakers even if he declines his player option.

On Tuesday's edition of "First Things First," cohost Chris Broussard explained that Paul gave the Lakers a heads-up that James would be at the game beforehand. Thus, Broussard — a longtime NBA reporter — does not believe James attended his former team's playoff game in order to send a message to his current team.

The 39-year-old James had a short postseason this year as the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the defending champion Denver Nuggets. James made it clear following the series that he was leaving his options open and had made no decisions about his next move.

James has talked in the past about playing alongside his oldest son, Bronny, who played at USC last season and recently declared for the 2024 NBA Draft.

On Monday, the younger James was cleared by the league's doctors to participate in the pre-draft combine in Chicago after going into cardiac arrest last summer. Bronny reportedly plans to remain in next month's draft.

James is a 20-time All-Star, four-time league MVP and champion. He was drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland and spent seven seasons with the Cavs before signing as a free agent with Miami in 2010.

He returned to the Cavs in 2014 and led them to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances — all against Golden State.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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