MIAMI – I can't recall, in all my years of covering sports in Miami, when the return of a former player was so anticipated. There have been plenty of great players come and go in South Florida, but no one left more of an impact and more of an anger than LeBron James.
The impact is obvious: Four seasons of championship-level basketball that included two NBA titles. He brought a significant economic impact to not only the Heat, but also many businesses that cashed in on the team's success. By all definitions, LeBron James was good for Miami. Scratch that. LeBron James was great for Miami. It's an era of pro sports in this town that we may never see again.
Recommended Videos
So then why is there such hatred for James?
We all know the answer. He left us. And not only did he leave us, but he didn't thank us on the way out. In the eyes of many Heat fans, he also left Pat Riley in the dust. LeBron seemed to give Riley hope he might return, and then left in a flash, damaging the Heat's free agency plans in the process.
I get it. It ended an era none of us were ready to give up.
And now, he returns.
Wisely so, the Heat have decided to have a tribute for James before his Cavs visit Miami on Christmas Day. If I know anything from being around the team, this will not be a simple video. This will be the type of video LeBron deserves -- a true show of gratitude for his achievements in a Heat uniform. I think it will be touching, and I think it will be heartfelt. I also believe James will be truly emotional and appreciative for it.
But what about the fans? I honestly believe this is much ado about nothing. It's become a national narrative about how Heat fans will react on Thursday. Will they boo? Will they cheer? Will they jeer? I know one thing for sure. They won't be anything like the fans in Cleveland when James went back home for the first time. I've never seen anything like that scene, and I'm positive I'll never see anything like that again.
Do I blame fans who do boo? Absolutely not. Some people will boo because they truly dislike James and the way he handled his departure. I can't say I agree with you 100 percent, but I do understand.
I would never tell a fan how to act. If you want to boo or jeer a person, as long as you do it without crossing the line, I have no problem with it.
But here's what I tell people who ask me how to react. Take a moment in the pre-game to let the memories of his Heat career sink back in. Relive it in your mind. Remember the excitement and energy he helped bring you as a fan. Enjoy it and give him one last round of applause. To me, in that moment, he's still part of the Heat family.
Then, once that ball is tipped, you boo him like you would any opposing star player. He's on the other team now and it's perfectly fine to scream as loud as you want to support your team and root against the opponent.
It's as simple as that. The media will want to make it more than what it is. The players will have to handle the questions about how awkward it was, and James will obviously be asked many times what he thought of his reception.
If there's anything I'd like to see and hear from James on Thursday, it's exactly what I think Heat fans should be thinking pre-game: Thank you.
Then move on.