LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He’s usually in the top three for most fans. There is a debate about James being first, which you’ll find many people claim he is or isn’t. What there isn’t a debate about is who the greatest player in Cleveland Cavaliers’ history is.
- LeBron Returned To Cleveland In December 2010
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LeBron became the Cavaliers’ best player of all time in his first seven seasons in Cleveland. Then, after the 2009-10 season, LeBron shocked the world when he announced that “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.”
This announcement by LeBron broke the hearts of every Clevelander. It led to fans burning LeBron’s jersey in the streets of the city, to fans spooling hate toward The King on social media.
Everyone knew when LeBron returned to Cleveland for the first time that things would be hectic. It was a date everyone circled on their calendar, and that date was December 2, 2010.
LeBron Returned To Cleveland In December 2010
On December 2, 2010, the Miami Heat traveled to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers. At this point in the season, the Heat were surprisingly struggling to a degree. They held an 11-8 record. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, struggled as expected, with a 7-10 record.
The game was intense, as every time LeBron touched the ball, the crowd booed louder than LeBron had ever heard boos before and since in his legendary career.
“Once I hit the court, I’m in my safe haven. Once I hit the court in warm-ups, you could hear the boos. It was probably the loudest I’ve ever heard boos in my life,” LeBron explained. “I felt the animosity. I felt the scrutiny. But once the ball was tipped, I’m in my safe haven. There’s nothing that can stop me from trying to be the best I can be.”
The security at the game was beefed up compared to a normal NBA game, as the fans in Cleveland held real hate for LeBron at this time. The NBA even stated the fans in Cleveland could not wear “inappropriate” apparel or display signage that’s deemed unacceptable.
LeBron knew this game would be emotional for him and the fans, but at the end of the day, he wanted to go out there and play well. He also, of course, wanted to give his new team, the Heat, the victory.
“It was something that nobody had ever seen before. Everybody knew the emotions behind it. Cable television made sure that they captured every moment. It was an eerie feeling, just going back. It was an uncomfortable feeling going back because of the situation. And I knew how up in bunches everybody was.
“The only thing I was talking about was, ‘How can I play well?’ I wanted to play well. I wanted to play well more than anything. I knew that I had a group of guys that were going to ride for me that night, no matter what. That was just the makeup of our club. I wasn’t worried about that. But it was an eerie night.
“I mean, I will never forget it. I’ll never forget both instances. I will never forget December 2, 2010, and I will never forget us winning the championship in 2016 and that parade. Those are two things that will always be instilled in me for the rest of my career. It’s both. There’s a negative side, and there’s a positive side to it. It doesn’t stop me from pushing forward, but it’s something that I definitely, I don’t forget.”
LeBron would play his best game for the Heat up to that point, scoring 38 points on 15-25 shooting. He also collected 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
LeBron led the Heat to a 118-90 victory, and even though the fans in Cleveland were upset at him, they’d soon be begging for him to return. Of course, LBJ would return and deliver Cleveland their first championship in franchise history in the epic 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals.
I think it’s safe to say the fans in Cleveland have forgiven their King.
