CLEVELAND (AP) - The most famous athlete in Cleveland is rooting for the New York Yankees. LeBron James always has.
Call him the LeBronx Bomber.
While in New York last week to host Saturday Night Live, the Cavaliers' star forward caused a stir back home when he said he would root for the Yankees in the AL playoffs against the Indians.
He showed up at Jacobs Field for Game 1 on Thursday night sporting a Yankees cap — and fans sitting near him chanted for him to take it off.
"I've always been a Yankee fan. I'm a big Derek Jeter fan," James said during an in-game TV interview after Cleveland took the lead. "I'm here to represent the Yankees, but right now it's not looking too good."
A TBS reporter then handed James a "crying" towel that he said Indians ace C.C. Sabathia wanted to pass along. James said the two are good friends.
"It's not like I said, 'OK, I'm picking the Yankees now that they're playing the Indians,"' James said earlier this week. "Everybody knows that I've been a Yankees fan my whole life. If the Indians were playing anybody else I would root for the Indians."
Sabathia said he didn't have a problem with James' allegiance.
"That's cool," the pitcher said. "He's sticking with his team. I'd do the same thing if the Raiders were playing the Browns."
Sabathia, who grew up in Vallejo, Calif., is a die-hard Oakland Raiders fan.
