LeBron James is welcomed to Cleveland as another hero. How many are left?

CLEVELAND – It's easier for LeBron James to dribble through a trap on an NBA court than to leave that arena after a game. No matter how many years he lives in Los Angeles, this will always be his home.

There's always another photo to be taken, another hug to be given, another autograph to be signed. After the Los Angeles Lakers' 134-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, a sea of ​​at least 40 people, mostly friends and family, waited for James in the hallway at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

That's standard here, especially since the Lakers only play once a season. James has gotten used to it over the years. He doesn't get impatient, greets every guest with a warm smile and has enough time for a short conversation and a few pictures.

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What was special about this trip was that for the first time Bronny James was at his side, dressed in a white Lakers quarter-zip. Eventually Bronny got tired of waiting and found something else to do.

“Where's Bronny?” James asked no one in particular, 17 minutes after he left the Lakers' interview room and began to work the crowd of familiar faces. He still hadn't reached the exit of the arena, but he was at least inches closer. “We have to go.”

One day, LeBron James will actually leave.

After 22 NBA seasons here, how many homecoming games does he really have left?

I marveled at this when he received a thunderous ovation before the game, when the crowd cheered his first dunk in the lane, and when it started again when LeBron and Bronny were both recognized on the scoreboard during a timeout in the first quarter.

How many more ovations are there? How long can this continue?

When James was playing for the Cavs for the second time, we were talking about retirement one random evening in the visiting locker room in Philadelphia. It's rare for James to think about such things, but I caught him on a good night.

“I’ll never embarrass the game,” James told me. “I'm not going to stay here so long that I embarrass myself or this game. This game was too good for me. It gave me too much.”

He kept his word. He turns 40 in two months and is still averaging 20 points a night. He scored 26 points in Wednesday's loss. It's really absurd. He doesn't embarrass this game; he improves it.

James has nothing to do other than push the all-time record to unprecedented heights. The last item on his career wish list was to play with his son. He did that on opening night, and then on Wednesday he watched from the bench as Bronny scored his first NBA basket – a corner kick from just inside the 3-point line. It was poetic that this happened in Cleveland in front of that sellout crowd that chanted his name throughout the fourth quarter and then jumped again when he scored his first basket. Bronny attended middle school here. He was 11 years old and posed on the court next to JR Smith when the Cavs won their championship – a picture the Cavs posted outside the Lakers' locker room to welcome Bronny home.

“Pretty cool,” LeBron said.

This crowd gave Bronny the kind of ovation he won't receive in any other city or arena. During the blowout fourth quarter, there were several calls from the crowd for Bronny to come into the game. When he finally came off the bench and checked in with 5:16 left, he received another huge ovation. The crowd cheered again as he scored his first basket. It was surreal and loud enough to pass for a Lakers home game.

“It felt good out there,” Bronny said.

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This is what the James family means to Cleveland now. It took a long time to get here, but all the bitterness over LeBron leaving twice seems to have subsided. No other city or athlete has a history as complicated as LeBron and Cleveland.

From adored native son to traitor to forgiven and now insatiably cheered, James receives the kind of ovation he never experienced upon his return as a member of the Miami Heat – for obvious reasons. In his mind, returning to Cleveland and winning a championship was compensation for all the pain. Judging by his reception here on Wednesday, the city agrees. It was a tumultuous journey that included enthusiastic cheers, burnt jerseys, vitriolic boos and, ultimately, a championship parade.

“We have spent many years here as part of this community,” James said. “Lots of great memories on the floor, but also a lot of great memories off the floor.”

James has hinted at retiring in recent years. He signed a two-year contract before this season, but next year is a player option. It's fair to wonder if he'll be ready to call it quits after this season, which Wednesday would have been his final appearance in Cleveland.

James has already gone on record saying he wants to play in all 82 games. The last – and only – time he did that was his final season in Cleveland. It's safe to assume that for most of the 2017-18 season, James knew it would be his last in Cleveland.

Is attending all 82 games this year his way of saying goodbye?

I tend to think that James wants the farewell tour, to announce his retirement early enough to give every city a chance to recognize him on his way out. He loves to be loved.

To be sure, I asked him on the way out of the arena on Wednesday if that could be it.

Could this be his last game in this arena?

James paused, then paused for another photo and another “hello” before answering.

“Probably not. Probably not,” he said. “Bronny told me I had to stay there for Bryce now.”

Bryce James is a high school senior and won't be eligible to play in the NBA for another two years.

LeBron was joking. Probably. Perhaps.

(Photo of LeBron and Bronny James: Jason Miller / Getty Images)