LeBron Returns; Not Quite Welcome

Quitter. Queen James. Princess. If you bring up LeBron James in Cleveland more times than not, you would hear one of those names to describe the man once known as "The Chosen One". LeBron James was once King in Cleveland when he was in a Cavaliers uniform, but tonight, he returns to Cleveland vs. The Cavs in a Miami Heat uniform for the first time since he "split" from Cleveland.

via NPR:

The hometown Cavaliers host the Miami Heat and LeBron James. It's his first game back since he announced last summer that he was leaving the Cavs for Miami.

That decision prompted outrage in Cleveland. How will Cleveland and James react tonight?

The player who electrified Cleveland's home arena for seven years returns as a villain. No town likes to lose its sports heroes, but this one stung. In an era when a huge gulf exists between pro athletes and those who pay to watch, James was one of their own.

"It was a first time, I think, that I can think of in sports history where a homegrown kid didn't go away to college," says Jason Herron, a Cavs season ticketholder. "He went right from Akron to Cleveland to play professionally. We watched him develop into this man."

Cleveland has extra security on hand for tonight's game. Let's hope nothing drastic happens tonight. After all, it's just a game, right ??