The LeBron James Love Festival in Cleveland Is Reaching Critical Mass

Scant few hours remain until the Cleveland Cavaliers season opener against the New York Knicks, and it’s not stretching reality to say the residents of Cleveland are whipping themselves into a state of delirium over the return of LeBron James. 

Newsday’s Al Iannazzone brings us pictures from a “LeBron James forgiveness ceremony,” wherein Cavs fans threw powder to atone for betrayals and jersey burnings past.

Another Cavaliers fan took on a more religious tack with his adulation, tweeting a picture of a custom T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Through LeBron all things are possible.” 

"

@darrenrovell Custom shirt for tonight's game. © pic.twitter.com/68OorYmKIO

— Chris (@cmcmorran23) October 30, 2014"

To top it all off, the LeBron lovefest will culminate in a confetti shower at Quicken Loans Arena, as Cavaliers fans will be supplied with bags of white paper to throw into the air when James goes about his pregame chalk tossing.

The mania only makes sense, considering James himself told media members Thursday that tonight’s home opener is one of the “biggest sporting events ever.”

And the stars will be performing at and attending this most highest of unofficial holidays. 

The Washington Post’s Michael Lee reports that Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart, Justin Bieber, Johnny Manziel and Usher, among other celebrities, will be on hand for the game.

To review, the streets of Cleveland are powdered with chalk, James has been deified and Quicken Loans Arena will out-celebrity the gaudiest Friday night contest ever played at the Staples Center. 

Just another day in Cleveland, guys.

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