"When you’re from Akron, you’re not from Cleveland" - LeBron James reiterates that Cleveland is not his hometown

LeBron James is set to return home to Cleveland for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, where he will lead his team against Team Kevin Durant. However, with the game just a few days away, James reminded everyone that Cleveland is not his hometown.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, James said that he does not treat the All-Star Game as a homecoming, as he's not from Cleveland. 'The King' reiterated that he's from Akron, a smaller city 40 miles south of Cleveland. That's why one of his catchphrases is 'just a kid from Akron'.

"People always say, 'You're going back home.' But I tell people all the time, 'I'm not from Cleveland.' There’s no disrespect to Cleveland. But, when you're from Akron, you're not from Cleveland. This is where I'm from," James said.

LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1984. He spent his early life in Akron, becoming a phenom for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. He was then drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, and the rest is history. Fun fact: Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was also born in Akron.

Nevertheless, James is excited to return to Cleveland for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Despite the cold weather, James can be seen smiling in one of his recent posts on his official Instagram account. He did add a 'hometown kid' to the caption, but didn't mention Cleveland. Instead, he mentioned the #ThekidfromAKRON.

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LeBron James looking to stay unbeaten as team captain

LeBron James at the 2021 NBA All-Star Game

Ever since the NBA implemented the new captain format of the All-Star game in 2018, LeBron James has been unbeaten as team captain in four games. He led his team to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen in 2018, winning his third All-Star Game MVP award in the process.

Team James would then proceed to beat Team Antetokounmpo two times, in 2019 and 2020, with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard winning the MVP award, respectively. Last year, James took a backseat, playing just 13 minutes. However, Team James stayed undefeated, beating Team Durant 170-150.

For the fifth straight year, LeBron James was named team captain. He will look to extend his winning streak to five games, as he has another strong roster following the All-Star Draft. The starters for Team James include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry and DeMar DeRozan.

Their reserves comprise top players such as Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet and Jarrett Allen. James Harden was selected as a reserve, but he was replaced by Allen due to a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Team Durant's starting five will be Ja Morant, Trae Young, Andrew Wiggins, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid. Their reserves include Devin Booker, Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, Khris Middleton and Rudy Gobert. They also have Dejounte Murray and LaMelo Ball as injury replacements for Durant and Draymond Green.

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for February 20 at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The league will honor the living members of the 75th Anniversary Team at half-time.