It’s a fascinating showdown that wrote itself for US television’s powerful schedule-makers: The prospect of The Return of The King on Christmas Day was just too much to resist.
In the most anticipated match-up of this NBA season, the game’s biggest star and finest player, LeBron James will make his first return to the site of his greatest triumphs on Thursday evening.
James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, head to Miami to take on the Heat, in what promises to be an emotional prime time confrontation that ensures fans keep at least one eye on the television during Christmas dinner.
“I already knew if I decided to come back here that I was probably going to be playing against Miami or in Miami for Christmas,” James told reporters Tuesday.
The match-up has been five months in the making; since LeBron announced he would return home to northeast Ohio, intent on healing the deep wounds of his departure and in the hopes of bringing a title to the city bereft of any major sporting honour for 50 years.
It was heralded as a tale of true sporting romance by some and a smart business decision by others, but Heat fans eying a dynasty following four straight NBA Finals trips and two Championship wins were less enthused by the 11 July decision.
James will be honoured by the Heat organisation with a video presentation prior to the game on Thursday - as is the team’s custom for returning players. Respect from his former employees is a given, but the bigger question surrounds how jilted Heat fans will greet their former hero when he returns in Cleveland colours.
Will the season of goodwill prevail and see appreciation for four glory-laden years? Or will there be jeers for a man who took his titles and left without offering Heat fans so much as a ‘thanks for the memories’?
“It’s going to be a mixture,” Heat guard and James’ close friend Dwyane Wade told Bleacher Report.
“How I think he should be received is a little different. The man helped take us to places we’ve only been once before he got here. So I think he should be received very well for that at the start of the game. And then when the game comes on, then do what you’ve got to do.”
Few, including Wade, begrudge James’ decision to go home. Those championship banners will continue to hang at the American Airlines Arena long after both have retired.
The gratitude exists, but there has been little public reciprocation from LeBron’s corner, something that has not passed unnoticed by the city’s fans and media.
In Pat Riley’s Heat a title-less LeBron found an organisation capable of putting the right pieces around him; something Cleveland failed to do for the first seven years of his glittering career.
“I’m going to cheer him,” Carmen Alba, a season ticket holder of 10 years, told the Guardian during Friday night’s loss to the Washington Wizards which still saw a spattering of James No6 jerseys on the backs of home fans.
“He gave us four great years, but I just hope that he thanks the fans before the game, which he never did.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong, he had the right to go home and he won us two championships, so you can’t be mad at him,” another Heat fan, Dylan Tull, said. “You’re always gong to miss the best player in the NBA, but we’re glad he was here in the first place.”
However, not everyone in Miami is feeling the warm vibes. The very specific types who like to call up sports radio phone ins and vent spleen are baying for a Christmas cauldron of boos, while some regulars are less enthused to see him back.
“I’m bitter!” said Zulay Currea at Friday’s game, which was sparsely populated in the absence of the team’s former box office attraction. “I understand that he went back to his hometown, but I didn’t like the way he did it. He was sneaky about it. There’s a big part of me that doesn’t want him to win another Championship. I wouldn’t boo him on Christmas Day, I’m just not sure I’d clap either. My focus is on the Heat, not him.”
While the fans and organisation appear ready to move on, the readjustment has been problematic for Miami. Ravaged by injuries, the Heat have struggled badly on their home court and sit three games below .500 heading into Christmas Day.
Chris Bosh, who endeared himself by re-signing following James’ departure, has missed the last five games with a calf strain. He’s likely to be a game-time decision on Thursday. Heat lynchpin Wade (another ‘Heat Lifer’) continues to battle injuries and sat out Sunday’s win over Boston with a bruised knee. Miami also confirmed Josh McRoberts will miss the rest of the season following knee surgery on Tuesday.
The team’s projected starting five of Bosh, Wade, McRoberts, Norris Cole and Luol Deng has been available for just 34 minutes of the season. In the first 28 games, Coach Erik Spoelstra sent out 13 different line-ups.
Heat fans won the lottery when James made the nationally televised decision to “take my talents to South Beach” back in 2010. But now their plush mansion been repossessed, the luxury cars have started to break down too.
With the Cavs finding their feet after a stuttering start and James still working to bring his new team-mates up to speed, the quality of the action is likely to be significantly eclipsed by a mouth-watering Christmas Day undercard in the West as Oklahoma City takes on the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
However, in terms of the sporting soap opera, all eyes will once again be on the brightest star in the NBA universe on Christmas Day.
