LeBron James is coming home.
Four years after the world’s best player broke the hearts of fans in Northeast Ohio by leaving to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, James announced he would be returning to Cleveland early Friday afternoon in a letter he penned for Sports Illustrated.
“When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission,” James wrote. “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.
“My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”
The move caps a stunning about-face from James, who set off demonstrations in Cleveland — including people burning his No. 23 Cavaliers jerseys in the streets — when he made his announcement to “take his talents to South Beach” in a cable television special four years ago.
His decision also prompted the infamous letter from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, one that mocked some of James’ nicknames and called him “our former hero.”
James said he had to discuss those issues with both his mom, Gloria, and his wife, Savannah, and had to have a face-to-face meeting with Gilbert in order to put all of that behind him.
“I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man,” James wrote. “We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?”
Instead of holding a grudge, James chose to return to Cleveland, where he can raise his family year-round near his beloved hometown of Akron while trying to deliver the area its first world championship since the Browns won the NFL title in 1964.
“The more time passed, the more it felt right,” James wrote. “This is what makes me happy.”
But part of that healing process came in the meeting with Gilbert, which took place Sunday night in Miami.
“We had five great years together and one terrible night,” Gilbert told Yahoo! Sports. “I told him how sorry I was, expressed regret for how that night went and how I let all the emotion and passion for the situation carry me away. I told him I wish I had never done it, that I wish I could take it back.”
After cars were lined up on the street at James’ home outside of Akron on Thursday in anticipation of a possible announcement, the whole area burst into celebration Friday when the news broke.
Car horns honked as people filled the city streets in the Rust Belt city, one that has seen one stroke of bad luck after another befall it over the last half-century, including James leaving. But after James left, the Cavaliers have won three of the last four lotteries — netting them Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett and Anthony Wiggins — and now have James back in the fold.
“I never thought it would be a reality,” Larry Boothe, 25, told The Associated Press while holding a celebratory six-pack.
Cleveland made the final necessary moves Thursday morning to give James a maximum contract, finalizing a three-way trade with the Celtics and Nets to clear almost $10 million more in cap room, giving the Cavaliers more than enough space to land James and potentially more help around him.
Before his decision was announced, James reportedly reached out to both Heat president Pat Riley — whom he met with in Vegas earlier this week — and owner Micky Arison to tell them he would be leaving Miami.
“While I am disappointed by LeBron’s decision to leave Miami, no one can fault another person for wanting to return home,” Riley said in a statement. “The last four years have been an incredible run for South Florida, HEAT fans, our organization and for all of the players who were a part of it.
LeBron is a fantastic leader, athlete, teammate and person, and we are all sorry to see him go.”
But after getting over his disappointment, Riley sprang into action, convincing Bosh — who appeared on his way to Houston after James made his decision — to stay in Miami for five years and $118 million, and was expected to re-sign Wade soon, as well.
In the meantime, a flurry of transactions began to take place Friday afternoon, as once everyone knew where James was going, the dominoes began to fall as expected.
All of those moves were waiting on the James, the league’s most powerful person, to decide his future. On Friday, he let everyone know: The King is coming home.