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LeBron James happy to finally play All-Star Game in Cleveland, says city has third All-Star, ‘and that’s me’

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1 year ago

February 19, 2022

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is about to play in his 18th All-Star Game on Sunday. The experience is nothing new to him. He’s won MVP. He’s played for both conferences and captained five drafts. He’s spent the NBA‘s marquee weekend in roughly half of the league’s arenas, but never had he played in an All-Star Game in front of his hometown fans. That changes on Sunday, when James plays in Cleveland’s first All-Star Game since 1997.

The Cavaliers have two All-Stars in the game. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen will be first-time participants on Sunday, but the biggest ovation will no doubt be reserved for Cleveland’s native son. With the game coming up, James took the time Saturday to reflect on how Cleveland has grown in the 25 years since its last All-Star Game and his own legacy in the city.

“I just talked about 25 years ago when I was a kid,” James said Saturday. “I was 12 years old. I was stating that earlier and how I wished I had the means and the ability to come up to Cleveland and just feel that energy and hopefully bump into one of those guys. I had so many dreams of being an All-Star when I was a kid, growing up in Akron and having a team that was 35 minutes north of us, even though as much as I love M.J., love the Bulls, you know, just having that inspiration, having pro teams right up 77 North, you know, and having the Browns and Indians at the the time, now the Guardians and having the Cavaliers. I remember when they were playing not even — a lot closer, Richfield. I remember that.

“To sit here 25 years later doing what I love to do, dreaming about what I love to do, believing in what I wanted to be, it’s just unbelievable. I mean, Cleveland is very deserving of this platform and this moment. They got two All-Stars of their own in the game in D.G. and the big fella, Jarrett Allen. And they got another guy in the All-Star, and that’s me. It’s great, man.”

James may currently reside in Los Angeles, but his legacy in Cleveland is unimpeachable. Who knows. He’s set to become a free agent in 2023, when the Cavaliers are projected to have max cap space. He might have one act left in Northeast Ohio some day, and those two All-Stars they already have would certainly be formidable teammates.

But for now, James is merely passing through as an All-Star. Now that he plays in the Western Conference, James only makes one trip to Cleveland per year with the Lakers. At his age, he doesn’t have that many of them left, so there’s a decent chance this is one of the last games he ever plays in Cleveland. It feels fitting that it would come on the All-Star stage. James is the biggest star Cleveland has ever had, and now, he gets to share the court with two of their up-and-comers in what could be a metaphorical passing of the torch.

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Related Topics:AllStar City Cleveland finally Game happy James LeBron play

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Avon’s OT winner lifts Petes to win over Blazers, Memorial Cup semifinal berth

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4 hours ago

June 2, 2023

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KAMLOOPS, B.C. — J.R. Avon scored the game-winning goal 10:54 into overtime and the Peterborough Petes beat the Kamloops Blazers 5-4 on Thursday, earning a semifinal berth at the Memorial Cup.

Connor Lockhart, Brennan Othmann, Samuel Mayer and Brian Zanetti had the others for Ontario Hockey League champion Peterborough. Michael Simpson made 43 saves.

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Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger, Harrison Brunicke and Logan Bairos replied for host Kamloops. Dylan Ernst stopped 25 shots.

The Petes will next meet the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds in Friday’s semifinal for a chance to face the Quebec Remparts in the final on Sunday.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Remparts earned a berth into the final after opening the tournament with wins over Kamloops and Seattle.

Quebec later fell to Peterborough — which staved off elimination and forced Thursday’s tiebreaker with the victory — 4-2 on Tuesday in both teams’ final round-robin game.

Lockhart opened the scoring 7:52 into the first period. Chase Lefebvre sent the puck across the end boards to Jax Dubois, who found Lockhart with a slick pass into the slot and he beat Ernst five-hole.

Stankoven evened it up 11:20 into the frame, sending the Sandman Centre crowd into a frenzy. Connor Levis took a point shot and the rebound came out to the Blazers captain, who scored his second of the tournament.

Zellweger put Kamloops ahead 12:45 into the frame on the power play. The CHL Defenceman of the Year nominee saved the puck from getting out of the Petes’ zone, moved into the slot and wired one past Simpson for his first.

With 2:27 remaining in the first, Brunicke piled it on for the Blazers. Peterborough’s Konnor Smith attempted to clear it from the end boards but the puck ended up with Brunicke at the point, where he got around a defender and beat Simpson just over his right shoulder with little room to spare.

Bairos gave Kamloops a 4-1 edge 4:23 into the middle frame. He fired a point shot that ricocheted off Simpson’s blocker, then over him and in.

Just over three minutes later, the Petes began to swing the momentum back in their favour.

Othmann stripped Bairos of the puck as the Blazers defenceman tried to skate out of his own zone. Othmann then turned around and roofed it past Ernst as he fell to one knee.

Mayer made it a one-goal game on the power play with 2:23 left in the second. He took a pass from Lockhart and fired in a one-timer from the point.

Zanetti knotted the contest just over a minute later. He tipped in a pass from Tucker Robertson while streaking toward the net and beat Ernst five-hole.

Both sides struggled to capitalize on prime scoring opportunities leading to a scoreless third period and extra time to settle the winner.

Following a dazzling effort by Zellweger that just missed, Owen Beck took the puck up ice for Peterborough and dropped it off for Avon, who put it past Ernst to seal the win.

WE MEET AGAIN

Kamloops defeated Peterborough 10-2 when the two last met on Sunday. But with 7:05 remaining in that game, Othmann laid a hit on Blazers defenceman Kyle Masters, who fell awkwardly into the boards.

Masters had to be stretchered off the ice and was taken to Royal Inland Hospital. Head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston said Monday that the blue liner was out for the tournament with a lower-body injury.