Looking back on the start of the free-agency process, it's now easy to think that LeBron James has been plotting his move back to Cleveland for a long time.
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Except that he made his decision on Thursday, USA TODAY Sports reported.
A person with knowledge of James' decision revealed that the Homecoming King's return wasn't assured until Thursday morning. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitivity for all parties involved in the decision.
James first brought up the possibility of returning to Cleveland after years ago, the reported stated, but James had trouble trying to forgive and forget about Cavaliers' owner Dan Gilbert's letter that ripped James when he left the franchise in 2010.
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"To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough," James told SI in announcing his return. "The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned - seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, 'OK, I don't want to deal with these people ever again.' But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I've met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We've talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I've made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?"
USA TODAY Sports called Gilbert's letter classless, but if that's the case, then so, too were Cleveland fans during James' first return to Cleveland as a member of the Heat on Dec. 2, 2010. An Associated Press report stated that several Cleveland personalities attended the game.
"By far, the loudest cheers were saved for Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who had ripped James after his decision, saying he quit on the Cavaliers during their season-ending playoff series with the Celtics last spring," The Associated Press reported.
Whether classless or not, it was exactly what Cavaliers fans needed to hear at the time. James wisely came around to understanding Gilbert's rationale.
But it took him time, as well - up until Thursday.
Do you think LeBron James had his mind made up to return to Cleveland before Thursday? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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