On Christmas Day, LeBron James returned to Miami for the first time since leaving the Heat in free agency over the summer. A lot of hype surrounded the game, ranging from how LeBron's former teammates would react to how well he would play to how the crowd would treat him.
According to ESPN, LeBron admitted that he was a bit nervous before the game.
"I just had some butterflies coming in," said James. "I played some great basketball here with me and my teammates. I miss my teammates more than anything. The camaraderie we had and the guys that are still here and the guys that's not even here like Shane (Battier) and Ray (Allen) -- well I still have Mike (Miller) with me and J.J. (Jones) -- all the guys, we built something that will last forever."
The Miami crowd gave James a standing ovation during the pregame introductions and again when the Heat showed a tribute video of James during a timeout in the first quarter. However, while the game was actually being played, Heat fans booed James whenever he touched the ball.
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The Heat defeated the Cavaliers 101-91 in a surprising upset considering that the team has been struggling lately and was playing without Chris Bosh.
After the game, James was asked if he ever wondered what would have happened if he stayed in Miami.
"I can't do that anymore," he said. "I can't live in the past or live with regrets. I got to live in the future or live in the present moment. And, I don't know. What do you guys want from me? I go out and play the game of basketball at a high level no matter what uniform I'm in, no matter what city I'm in ... For now just try to appreciate what I do on the floor."
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