Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Cleveland Cavaliers named in bizarre lawsuit against LeBron James

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Steve Kubitza | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 9:27 AM ET

Rumors linking LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue until the day he officially retires. Him playing his final NBA season where it all began sure would be a storybook ending for one of the greatest careers in not just NBA history, but professional sports history.

For now, James remains on the Los Angeles Lakers. Yet plenty of Lakers fans were sent into a panic earlier this week when LeBron announced "The Second Decision." Fans in Cleveland will always remember the first one, where he announced he was headed to the Miami Heat on national television.

The logical assumption was that James was set to announce his retirement. One final season. Instead, the whole charade turned out to be a Hennessy advertisement.

That left people furious for a variety of reasons, but one fan is taking it to an entirely different level. TMZ reported how a fan named Andrew Garcia is suing James for $856.66 after he spent that amount on two tickets to a game between the Lakers and the Cavaliers. If James were to retire after the season, that game would be a special one.

Alas, he just wanted to promote one of his many brand deals. And while James could probably hand over $1000 right out of his wallet, this lawsuit seems to be more about attention than anything else.

LeBron is being sued for $865.66 in a small claims court by a Lakers fan claiming that he was 'duped' by Bron's ad

The fan says he bought 2 tickets to see Lakers vs. Cavs but when the decision was revealed to be an ad, 'the tickets lost almost all their value'

(Via @TMZ_Sports) pic.twitter.com/6hUdK1E6LL
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 9, 2025

The Cavaliers showing up in this lawsuit is another chapter in the dynamic legacy of James and his connection with the team. He showed up as a savior, left as a villain, returned to win a championship, and left again having fulfilled his promise to the fans. The second departure was far more amicable than the first, giving him a whole new legacy in the city of Cleveland.

At this point, James returning to the Cavaliers may be a pipe dream simply because of age. He is set to turn 41 years old in December, and while he has defied Father Time for so long, there will come a point where he is ready to move on to the next stage of life. He is already out to start the season due to an injury, which was unheard of for much of his career.

Garcia may want to hold on to these tickets in case James does change his mind. Even if not, the game should be a fun late-season matchup between two teams with championship aspirations.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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