Cavaliers got nearly everything right to set up a LeBron James homecoming

The head-to-head between the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers was oh so close to being the perfect homecoming pitch for LeBron James. It had the pagentry, it had the decisive victory for the Cavaliers, but one stray comment just missed the mark.

The blueprint was executed almost flawlessly. James received plenty of love from the fans and the organization when a video tribute had the greatest player in Cavaliers history soaking it all in. Consider that a massive tick of the box.

Cleveland absolutely pummeling Los Angeles in a decisive 129-99 win was a strong message too. Without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, the Cavaliers clearly proved themselves as the better team on Wednesday night. It's the type of beatdown that should make someone like James wonder whether his current environment is best-suited to guide him to another title.

Jaylon Tyson then stepped in to hurt some of the good will created by the night by empathically stating Cleveland was Donovan Mitchell's city now. The intent from the 23-year-old was definitely not malicious, but the message still landed awkwardly and even immediately had his star teammate backtracking to save face in the moment.

Cavaliers’ plan was airtight — except for one uncomfortable Jaylon Tyson moment

Now, heat of the moment after a blowout win, you can't exactly be too upset with Tyson getting amped up and saying what he said. However, it was clear from what the Cavs wing said after the game that even he knew it was a little too much.

Tyson said, "There was no disrespect there. ... That's one of the greatest players that ever played the game. Obviously, I was a Cavs fan growing up because of him. I didn't want to take away [from] him, but I just wanted to get Don his flowers. That was my biggest goal in it."

The second-year sensation added that if anyone was offended or mad about the comments, he was sorry. There was no ill intent, but Tyson owned up to the accountability of say what he did in any case.

It's all a little silly, right? However, the matter is not totally irrelevant.

Some may wonder if the Cavaliers even want James back in free agency. If Lakers insider Dave McMenamin is correct, the answer is yes.

This has the feeling of Hagrid from Harry Potter immediately mouthing that he shouldn't have said something right after he did. Tyson's comments — well-intentioned as they may have been — still landed in that category.