With heated speculation over his future as a Cleveland Cavalier, LeBron James made a "dramatic" appearance at the "LeBron James Appreciation Day" held at the University of Akron in his hometown, Akron, Ohio. The event was from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and most of the 4,000 attendees had left by 12:40; James showed up at 12:50 p.m., causing what The Chronicle-Telegram called a "circuslike atmosphere as several hundred fans rushed back into the 30,000-seat facility." James said, "Akron is my home, it's my life. Everything I do is for this city. I'm going to continue to do great things. I love every last one of you all. Akron is home."

James received the Hometown Hero Award, but he did not give any clues about his future during his brief appearance. Earlier, the Appreciation Day had a LeBron James look-alike contest, a screening of James' documentary "More than Just a Game," and a video message from Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, who said he had a LeBron bobblehead on his desk, "Everyone in the state of Ohio wants you to be a Cavalier forever. We have great things we can do down the road and we can't do them without you."