Kenny Atkinson Drops Surprising Hint on LeBron James’ Potential Cavs Comeback—What It Could Mean for Cleveland Fans

Every time LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers make their yearly pilgrimage to Cleveland, the buzz is palpable — it’s like a magnet pulling every basketball fan’s gaze. This season’s twist? Rumblings that the Cavaliers might be flirting with the idea of bringing King James back into the fold. Now, head coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t exactly losing sleep over that notion — he’s got his hands full focusing on his current squad. But there’s no denying the weight LeBron carries in Cleveland, or the history laced into every encounter. Having faced LeBron multiple times on playoffs and Olympic stages — none ending in his favor — Atkinson knows this game isn’t just about points on a board; it’s about legacy, strategy, and respect. And despite LeBron’s age, his basketball IQ keeps him sharp as ever, leaving coaches like JJ Redick intrigued rather than challenged. So as these titans prepare to square off again, the intrigue lingers. Will a reunion happen? It’s anyone’s guess. But one thing’s for sure: competing against LeBron never gets old for a coach or a fan. LEARN MORE

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ annual trip to play the Cleveland Cavaliers always brings extra attention. This season, it was the report that the Cavs would reportedly be interested in a reunion with James. According to head coach Kenny Atkinson, that isn’t something he’s put much thought into.

“Oh man, that’s above my pay grade,” Atkinson said when asked whether he’s conceptualized coaching James.

“I know what he means to this community and this organization. I do know that. After that, my focus is on this roster and trying to improve this team that we have.”

Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.

Atkinson doesn’t know what it’s like to coach a James-led team, but he does have experience coaching against them. Atkinson has been on coaching staffs that have gone up against James in either the playoffs or the Olympics five times. Atkinson’s team hasn’t won any of those matchups. Most recently, that includes the 2024 Olympics when Atkinson served as an assistant coach for the French men’s national basketball team.

“I’m going to ask him tonight if he orchestrated those last plays against us in the gold medal game,” Atkinson said. “I have a feeling he did.”

Even though James has lost a step athletically, he hasn’t tactically. That has allowed him to continue being an All-NBA caliber player into his 40s.

Whether or not the Cavs pursue James in the off-season remains to be seen. What we do know is that James’s current head coach, JJ Redick, hasn’t found a downside in coaching someone of James’s stature.

“I haven’t found it challenging,” Reddick said of James.

“At age 41, in his 23rd season, he loves new challenges. What we tried to do as a coaching staff is challenge him in different ways. That could be three-point volume or getting more transition opportunities for our team. It could be very specific stuff like that. It could be continuing to be a fantastic leader. … To me, it hasn’t been hard to coach him. You just have to kind of understand what he needs and then coach him that way.”

For now, Atkinson will continue to coach against James. Whether or not that changes in the future remains to be seen.

In the meantime, Atkinson isn’t taking games like Wednesday’s for granted.

“This is the best,” Atkinson said of this game. “You’re playing agianst LeBron and Luka (Doncic). These are the fun games with LeBron. I mean, you never know how many times you get to compete in the same arena.”