The Akron native faces the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena as Philadelphia looks to keep Cleveland below .500.
LeBron James is back in Cleveland, this time on the visiting bench. The 76ers, who signed James away from the Lakers after eight seasons there, play the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena in what counts as Cleveland's first 2026 NBA Cup game of the season. Tipoff was set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.
James turned down the Cavs, along with the Heat, Warriors and Timberwolves, when he announced on July 24 he would sign with Philadelphia in free agency. That makes this his first appearance in his hometown arena wearing a 76ers uniform.
The matchup carries some early-season weight for Cleveland. The Cavs opened 2026-27 by blowing a 29-point lead at Philadelphia and losing 114-106 on Oct. 22, and they enter this rematch at 4-4, hoping to avoid dropping below .500. The 76ers, meanwhile, arrive at 8-1, one of the better records in the league through the early going.
For Cleveland, beating the team that passed them over for James would be a nice bit of payback. For Philadelphia, it is a chance to show the blowout loss in October was no fluke.