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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made headlines for signaling out Memphis and Milwaukee as places he doesn’t enjoy playing when he was on a golf YouTube video with Bob Does Sports. Those comments — particularly saying he doesn’t enjoy playing in Memphis — made people angry.

“A random f***** Tuesday in Milwaukee,” James said on the YouTube video when talking about life in the NBA. “Staying at the f****** Hyatt at 41 years old. You think I want to do that shit? Being in Memphis on a f****** random ass Thursday? I’m not like the first guy to even talk about it in the NBA. We’re all like, ‘You guys have to move. Go over to Nashville.’”

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James was asked to clarify those comments on Saturday. And in the process, he decided to do a drive-by on his hometown.

“41 years old, it’s two cities I do not like playing in right now,” James said on Saturday. “That’s Milwaukee, and that’s Memphis. What is the problem? I don’t like going home either. Shit, and I’m from there.”

James tried to clarify that he wasn’t taking a shot at the city or their people when listing places he doesn’t enjoy going to.

“I’m not talking about the city, like the people in Memphis,” James said. “I don’t like staying at the Hyatt Centric. What’s wrong with that?”

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How much you want to read into him saying he doesn’t enjoy going home to Cleveland for games is up to you. In context, it seemed like he was saying he doesn’t like going to the hotel and traveling there in the winter, as was the case this season when the Lakers made their lone trip to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, you could read it another way if you wanted to as well.

What we do know is that James is in the last year of his current contract with Los Angeles. And while things have been working out well for him and the Lakers over the last month, it’s clear that he isn’t the focal point of the franchise anymore. He’s adjusted to that well on the court, taking a tertiary role alongside both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves when the trio is healthy, which they won’t be heading into the playoffs. Whether or not James wants that to continue to be his reality off the court remains to be seen.

Some of the buzz about James joining the Cavs next season has died down. Even last week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that he’s not seeing a return to Cleveland “at the top of the probability list” for James next summer.

That said, it’s difficult to picture James playing anywhere but Cleveland and Los Angeles next season. We’ll see how this all unfolds this summer. A lot can change between now and July.

CLEVELAND, Oh. – The Cleveland Monsters used a strong second period and outlasted the Milwaukee Admirals in a 6-5 win on Saturday, April 4, at Rocket Arena.

Game recap

What we know:

The loss spoiled an impressive game by the two newest Admirals players. Forward Aiden Fink, playing his second pro game, recorded four assists. Defenseman Viggo Gustafsson, in his first pro game, scored a goal and added an assist.

Cleveland scored the first goal of the game during a 4-on-3 power play. Luca Marrelli’s one-timer from the left circle found the back of the net at 5:30 of the first period to give the Monsters a 1-0 lead.

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Milwaukee tied the game with a power play goal of its own at 13:50. After whacks at the net front from Isaac Ratcliffe and Fink, Cole O’Hara put the third chance into the goal for his team-leading 17th goal of the campaign. Fink earned his first professional assist in the play.

The Admirals took the lead at 15:31 of the first period. Defenseman Jordan Oesterle sailed a backhander from the middle of the blue line toward the net. Oasiz Wiesblatt tipped the puck past Cleveland’s goalie for his 13th goal of the year. Oesterle and Fink assisted.

Cleveland tied the game at 2-2 when Riley Bezeau scored at 16:34.

Milwaukee’s Gustafsson, in his first American Hockey League game, gave the Admirals a 3-2 lead at 19:54 if the first period with a slap shot from the right point. The goal was the first for the 2024 Third-Round Draft Pick, who is 19 years, 6 months and 22 days old.

Cleveland scored three goals in the second period to take a 5-3 lead into the second intermission. Mikael Pyyhtia scored at 9:50 and again at 13:10. Hudson Fasching scored a goal at 16:06.

Shawn Element brought the Ads within a goal at 13:52 of the third period. Receiving a pass from Fink, Element moved to the slot and backhanded the puck through the legs of Cleveland’s net minder.

Cleveland outshot the Admirals in the second period 16-5. The Monsters outshot the Ads in the game 36-24.

Milwaukee was able to pull within one at 2:52 of the third period when Jake Lucchini tipped an Oesterle shot into the net for his 16th goal of the season. However, just :26 later, Fasching scored from the blue line to give Cleveland a 6-4 lead.

Oesterle is now enjoying a seven-game points streak.

What’s next:

The Admirals will play the fourth game of the five-game road trip at Manitoba on Tuesday, April 7.

Milwaukee returns to UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday, April 11 to host Chicago.