The King is Back! LeBron James is heading back to his home town and the team that drafted him No.1 overall on 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 4-time season MVP and 2-time finals MVP told told SI.com on Friday that he is returning to the Cavs after playing for the Miami Heat for four seasons.
"My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball," James told SI.com in a first-person essay. "I didn't realize that four years ago. I do now."
For LeBron James, it means that he is ready to reunite with his former club and remake his legacy after his decision in 2010 when he bolted out of Cleveland for the Miami Heat and teamed up with Wade and Bosh to create a "Big Three" that went for four consecutive trips to the finals and won back-to-back NBA championships.
When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn't had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what's most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.
The Heat tried everything in their power to lure James back. Team President Pat Riley went to Las Vegas to have a face-to-face meeting with James on Wednesday to convince him that it is in his best interest to stay with the Heat. Ultimately, James love and life long connection to Cleveland was simply too powerful for even the likes of Riley to override.
Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It's where I walked. It's where I ran. It's where I cried. It's where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart.
The entire Cleveland Cavalier nation has a lot to celebrate. Their hero has returned and this time around he will be staying for good. It also marks the end of a free agency frenzy that went around LeBron for weeks with teams, fans, and media personalities all speculating on where he would land next. In the end, there was no place like home for LeBron James.
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