LeBron James Struggles in Emotional Return to Cleveland, Disappoints Fans as Cavs Beat Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James potentially played his final NBA game on Wednesday in Cleveland, where the four-time NBA MVP starred for 11 seasons.

Unfortunately for LeBron and the Lakers, this contest ended in a 129-99 defeat.

James finished with 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and six turnovers while adding five assists and three rebounds.

This game was close at halftime, when Cleveland took a 57-55 lead into the break. However, the Cavaliers exploded for 42 third-quarter points and led 99-75 going into the fourth.

Cleveland soon rolled off a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter, and before it was over, the Lakers cleared the bench with 8:23 remaining. James' eldest son, Bronny James, got some court time and finished with eight points.

This was a rough night for L.A., but not all was lost for James. The Cavaliers honored him with a tribute video, and the 41-year-old was visibly emotional while watching it.

He also received a massive ovation from the Cavs' home crowd.

James is a 21-time All-NBA player over his 23 NBA seasons. The Akron, Ohio native began his career in his home state when the Cavs chose with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. The hype was beyond belief for one of the best high school prospects in American sports history, but James met and then some.

James is Cleveland's all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals over his time in town (2003-2010; 2014-2018). He led the Cavs to a pair of Eastern Conference titles and the franchise's lone championship in 2016.

He's enjoyed many great moments in town, although Wednesday was a tough day. Fans provided their unfiltered thoughts on the outing.

The 28-18 Lakers will now head to Washington, D.C. to face the Wizards on Friday evening at 7 p.m. ET.