NBA Schedule 2018-19: When does LeBron play the Cavaliers?

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Head coach Tyronn Lue (L) of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers after a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

LeBron will face his former team twice this upcoming season, but how will Cavaliers fans react to his return to Cleveland?

When LeBron left the Cavaliers to join the Los Angeles Lakers last month, it reopened an old wound for Cleveland fans. It was not the first time he had left, but the reaction to his leaving was far less angry, much more understanding, than it had been when LeBron decided to join the Miami Heat in 2010.

The fans won’t have long to wait, with the Lakers coming to Cleveland on Nov. 21. The Cavs will make the return trip on Jan. 13.

One would guess that bringing a championship home to a city that had not won a title in over half a century has a way of relieving tensions. However, tensions were unbelievably high when LeBron first returned to Cleveland as a member of the Heat in a nationally televised game on Dec. 2, 2010.

The Cavaliers fans booed LeBron mercilessly, pouring down all their pent up anger at the Heat superstar over the course of the game. It was one of the most discomfiting sporting events I’ve ever watched.

Thankfully, the game passed without incident and LeBron was apparently unaffected by the whole thing, playing a stellar game – scoring 38 alongside eight assists – as the Heat destroyed the hapless Cavaliers by 28.

Next: Every NBA team's greatest playoff moment

When LeBron returns to Cleveland this year, he should receive a very different kind of welcome as fans should be grateful for his many years as a Cavalier and the many wins and memories he was able to deliver throughout his tenure there.

This time, though, rather than being greeted by deafening boos and catcalls, LeBron James will likely hear cheers of gratitude for the championship he brought to Northeast Ohio, and every single one of them will be far more than well-deserved. Here are the times the Cavaliers and Lakers will be playing each other, including LeBron’s anticipated return to Cleveland.