When the buzzer sounded and the Cleveland Cavaliers led 93-87 at the end of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, were you screaming your excitement? Or were you shocked into silence, mouth agape, as the team ended the 52-year title drought for Cleveland professional sports teams?
Ask any Northeast Ohioan where they were when the Cavs won the championship and every single one of us will have a vivid memory to share. Sports fan or not, there is no denying that Cleveland is a sports town. Our professional teams are woven intrinsically into the fabric of our existence, impacting not only our economy and national recognition, but also the grit, pride and brotherhood of our people.
Cleveland Play House’s “King James” is a love letter to Clevelanders that explores the ability of our sports fandom to divide and unite us.
“King James” follows two somewhat unlikely friends, Matt and Shawn, who bond over their shared love of Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Split into four quarters with one halftime (er, intermission), we watch Shawn and Matt’s friendship develop over the course of 12 years and four of LeBron James’ career milestones.
Playwright Rajiv Joseph, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of an Obie Award, is a native graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. “King James” opened in Chicago in March 2022, was named one of the top 10 produced plays in the country during the 2024-25 theatre season and was an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play in 2024.
The show feels at home with Northeast Ohio audiences, who can appreciate the passion and hope–and more often the disappointment and devastation–that accompany our die-heard devotion to local teams. Director Monteze Freeland of City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh (a co-producer of this show) uses a careful hand to balance the show’s light-hearted, humorous depiction of Cavs followers with the script’s exploration of prejudice and privilege.
The two-man show features actors Matthew Patrick Trimm and Robert Hunter. Trimm portrays Matt, the aspiring entrepreneur who is seeking to sell his Cavs tickets after he makes a bad investment. He reluctantly considers selling them to Shawn, portrayed by Hunter, a writer who has just sold his first short story and is rewarding himself with the purchase of season tickets to see his favorite basketball team. A resulting, unlikely friendship forms.
Trimm and Hunter share a fantastic energy fitting for a buddy-comedy. Trimm’s Matt has a bounding, eager-to-please energy reminiscent of a golden retriever while Hunter’s Shawn is a more hard-boiled, lone wolf figure. Both actors hit their comedic notes just right, Trimm with his doe-eyed naivety and Hunter with his realistic bluntness and exasperation.
While the show elicits plenty of laughs, especially from an audience who can relate so closely with the source material (are we just fundamental extremists, and LeBron James the prodigal son?), the moments that explore uncomfortable truths are equally engaging. Differences in professional paths, love lives, race and upbringing allow for plenty of debate, much of which is sparked by LeBron’s televised exodus from Cleveland and his subsequent return in 2014. These conversations are wonderfully tense and well handled by the actors, although stumbles from Hunter admittedly lessened the punch of some dialogue. Hunter’s scene where Shawn reacts to LeBron’s return, however, is sure to be a favorite moment of the show.
The creative team can be commended on their ability to craft an appealing, cohesive setting. Tony Ferrieri’s wine bar set is as beautiful as it is thematic. The wood flooring mimics the lacquered boards of a basketball court, the stained glass windows along the back wall are shaped like backboards and the bar’s tv screens are reminiscent of an arena’s jumbotron. The transition between the bar and Matt’s parent’s antique store is impressive to watch. Jakyung C. Seo’s lighting design casts the bar in cool tones and the store in warm, both of which add dimension to the spaces.
Howard Patterson’s sound design complements the basketball inspired motif with pump-up songs that will remind you of sitting court-side in the 2000s and 2010s. Videos of James’ accomplishments and clips of events current to the various time periods, designed by Jasmine A. Golphin, are projected on the screen during transitions and intermission. Also helping to establish the time period is the costume design of Jeffrey Van Curtis, who dresses Matt and Shawn in the suits, skinny ties and shades that match whatever era of cell phone they’re carrying at the time.
Nearly half of all U.S. states are without teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA or the NHL. Outsiders looking in might watch in confusion as fans burn jerseys or climb light poles, or even fill the streets with (an estimated) 1.3 million attendees for a championship parade. To those who might question our devotion, passion or optimism, catch “King James” to learn what all the fuss is about. To those who understand the fanaticism, you’ll feel right at home with the other jersey-clad members of the audience.
“King James” runs through March 23 at Cleveland Play House,1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Tickets can be purchased by calling (216) 241-6000 or by visiting clevelandplayhouse.com, $25-$90.
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This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 12, 2025.