CLEVELAND -- LeBron James crammed into a crowded side room adjacent to the visiting locker room of Quicken Loans Arena wearing a black t-shirt adorned with white letters on Wednesday night.
"All good. Never better," the shirt read.
As is rarely the case when it comes to James, it's hard to imagine the messaging was unintentional.
In what marked his unofficial homecoming after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers over the summer, it was easy to see that James is in fact living his best life. Long gone were the boos and hostile environment that accompanied his first return to Cleveland in 2010 as a member of the Miami Heat, replaced with not one, not two, but three standing ovations from Cavaliers fans -- and that was before the first quarter even ended.
"I just felt different from the time we landed yesterday," James said following the Lakers' 109-104 victory over his former team on Wednesday night. "I'm a different person. We're all different from eight years ago -- both good and bad. But this experience has been great. It's all about growth."
James' return to Northeast Ohio, however, wasn't only about tribute videos or even his 32-point, 14-rebound, 7-assist showing. Rather, the good vibes for James started before he even arrived at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night, as he made a surprise visit to his recently opened 'I PROMISE' school in his hometown of Akron.
"The day started off great. I got an opportunity as soon as I started the day to go down to my school and see my kids," James said. "It was a warm welcome to see them the day before Thanksgiving. So I was already blessed and thankful for that moment right there."
But while it may be "all good" for James as he heads back to Los Angeles to celebrate the holiday with his Lakers having won eight of their last 10, the same could hardly be said for his former teammates down the hall.
With their loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, the Cavs' added another defeat to what was already the NBA's worst record. At 2-14, any chance Cleveland may have had at competing for a playoff spot has already seemingly been erased in a season that's already seen the Cavs fire head coach Tyronn Lue and shooting guard J.R. Smith leave the team.
Playing on one of the youngest rosters of his career, James has his own issues in Los Angeles to worry about. But that hasn't stopped him from keeping tabs on the Cavs, whose roster is still largely comprised of players he played alongside a season ago.
"Anytime you have a group of guys who you spend so much time with both on and off the floor, with them going through what they're going through right now, you definitely feel for that," James said. "There's champions over there. Guys who have been to the Finals. A lot of guys who have worked their tails off to get where they are in their careers. You never want to see your friends be in the situation they're in. But as professionals, they're still giving it all they've got, as they showed tonight.
"So, we'll see what happens."
The Cavs and Lakers won't meet again until Jan. 13 in Los Angeles and by that point, a lot could potentially change for both teams. But in the meantime, James has his wife's red velvet cake and macaroni and cheese on his mind -- a day after he managed to sneak in some postgame Swenson's.
"All good. Never better," indeed.
