The return of LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers is the biggest story in the NBA this fall. The four-time MVP didn't waste much time in showing basketball fans what they can expect from him during Thursday night's opener against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena.
With 6:30 remaining in the first quarter, James took a trademark outlet pass from fellow new Cav Kevin Love and powered through a foul from Carmelo Anthony to finish an and-one lay-up. Take a look below:
It was a classic play from James with a new wrinkle from Love, who joined the Cavs this summer via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The play shows why the Cavaliers could be one of the best fast-break teams in NBA history in 2014-15. Few teams have ever had the transition talent of LeBron, Love, and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving.
LeBron's first basket followed a raucous pre-game introduction. The crazy scene didn't come across fully on the TNT broadcast (which appeared to have some audio problems), but you can watch it here:
James also brought back his pregame chalk toss routine, which was a mainstay of his first tenure in Cleveland but was used only intermittently during his four seasons with the Miami Heat:
The Cavs will likely run into challenges this season as they attempt to turn a roster full of talent into a championship-level squad, but for now there are plenty of causes for celebration in Cleveland. Thursday's scene is just the start.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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