One of the most intriguing days on the NBA calendar is here – LeBron James is back in Cleveland.

Just under eight years ago, LeBron went back to Cleveland for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat and was met with as many boos and as much vitriol as his former fan base could throw at him. It didn’t work as James dominated en route to a lopsided win for the Heat, but fans were clear – he was no longer beloved in his home region of Northeast Ohio.

But things should be different tonight. No one is sure exactly what sort of reaction to expect, but it won’t be like last time. The cheers might even drown out the boos, but there’s almost sure to be a healthy mix.

With LeBron set to return to Cleveland for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, TSN.ca takes a look back at his time with the Cavs over two special stints.

2003–2006: The Chosen One

It was never a debate as to who the Cavaliers would take with the top pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. James was as ‘can’t miss’ as they come. A year and a half earlier, James was dubbed ‘The Chosen One’ by Sports Illustrated in a cover story and compared to Michael Jordan.

James made Sacramento the centre of the basketball universe – for possibly the first and last time – when he debuted at the ripe age of 19. Cleveland lost 106-92, but nobody cared. James scored 25 points and threw down a serious of vicious dunks that gave fans a glimpse of highlights they would see for years to come. He went on to win rookie of the year by a landslide and increased his scoring average in each of the next two seasons.

As James got better, so did his team. In 2005-06, the Cavs reached the 50-win plateau for the first time since 1992-1993 and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference semi-finals. While they ended up losing to the Detroit Pistons in six games, it was clear James and the Cavs would be a problem for years to come.

 

2007-2010: The next steps

 

After another incredible regular season, James took the Cavaliers all the way to the NBA Finals. He did it almost by himself, with little help from a supporting cast headlined by Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Donyell Marshall.

As good as James was, he couldn’t win a title by himself. Cleveland was swept by Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Okay, so 2007 wasn’t the year. But that would come soon, right?

Not exactly. Cleveland took a huge step back the year after, winning just 45 games (their lowest total in three years) and lost in the second round. Without the supporting cast, James needed to play even better. Somehow, he found a way.

In 2008-09, James won his first MVP Award as the Cavaliers won a franchise record 66 games (which is still a franchise best today). The season after was basically a repeat as James again was named MVP and the Cavs had the best record in the conference. The marriage between the city of Cleveland and LeBron was stronger than ever. It seemed like nothing could ever go wrong. Until it did.

They failed to reach the Finals in each of the next two seasons, setting the stage for a messy divorce that would be played out on a national stage.

 

2010: The Decision

 

Following a loss to the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, James and his camp chose to announce his looming free agency decision in an ESPN television broadcast hosted by Jim Gray with proceeds going to charity. The basketball world stood still as James arrived at the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Conn. to make the announcement that would change the NBA forever.

Nearly 30 minutes into the broadcast, LeBron got to the point.

“In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.”

“Miami Heat? That was the conclusion you woke up with this morning?” Gray asked, as stunned as everyone else was.

LeBron nodded.

The Decision sparked outrage from many NBA fans, Miami-Dade County excluded. James was criticized for leaving his home state of Ohio, partnering with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form one of the NBA’s first super teams and for the spectacle of announcing his next move on national TV despite its charity contributions. But that was just the start of a new wave of anger directed at LeBron.

People in Cleveland burned jerseys. His former owner, Dan Gilbert, penned a vicious open letter that depicted James as a traitor. The phrase “taking my talents to South Beach” became a punchline. He was accused of title chasing, but simultaneously criticized for never having won one. And then there was the booing in almost every arena the Heat visited.

“If I had to go back on it, I probably would do it a little bit different,” James said during his first season in Miami.  

“But I’m happy with my decision.”

 

2010-2014: Miami Heat

 

The Heat were supervillains from the very start. Two nights after the decision, they held a welcome party at American Airlines Center to let fans get their first glimpse of the new Big Three.

James, Wade and Bosh were greeted alongside loud music, special effects and a dash of hubris that got on the nerves of fans from around the league.

Responding to a question about winning championships, James’ answer turned heads.

“Not two. Not three. Not four. Not five. Not six. Not seven,” James said as Wade and Bosh laughed.

His “promise” was likely said in jest, but James’ answer put an even bigger target on their backs than they had before. The pressure was on in Miami.

By their lofty standards, the Heat struggled to start the season. Miami’s record sat at 9-8 through their first 17 games. After two convincing wins to get them back on track, it was time for LeBron to return to Cleveland for the first time.

As he powdered his hands at Quicken Loans Arena for his trademark pregame chalk toss, boos rained down from fans he called his own just a few months ago. As the Heat got out to an early lead, the boos subsided and the crowd lost energy. By halftime, Miami led by 19.

The lead continued to grow and so did James’ point total. With the game well out of hand in the fourth, security swarmed the Heat bench and a fan was ejected after appearing to throw a towel toward James. It didn’t deter him; neither did the spectacle of the evening. James finished with 38 points as Miami cruised to a 118-90 win.

No, Miami didn’t win six or seven like James originally joked, but the two titles (in 2012 and 2013) gave him the hardware his legacy so desperately needed.

In three years, James went from supervillain to a decorated champion who played his way on to basketball’s Mount Rushmore. After another solid season the following year that saw the Heat lose in the finals, it was time for James to finish what he started.

 

2014: I’m coming home

 

During another visit to Cleveland in March of 2013, a fan ran onto the court sporting a shirt that read “We Miss You” on the front and “2014 Come Back” on the rear. It was a clear message from one diehard Cavs fan desperate for a James homecoming.

A year and a half later on July 11, he got his wish.

James partnered with Sports Illustrated to announce the reunion in a first-person essay.

“My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now,” the end of the opening paragraph read.

Not long after James signed, the Cavaliers traded rookie Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love, giving the Cavs a trio of James, Love and Kyrie Irving.

The Cavs, who had combined to win 97 games over the previous four years, turned things around with a 53-win season and reached the finals for the first time since 2007. Despite losing to the Golden State Warriors, Cavs fans got their King back, along with their championship hopes.

 

2015-2016: Fulfilling his promise

 

In his reunion essay from the summer of 2014, James vowed to bring a championship back to Northeast Ohio.

He did.

James averaged 27.1 a night on a career-high 56.7 shooting percentage and led the Cavs back to the Finals for the second year in a row.

The Golden State Warriors were on the verge of their second consecutive championship after taking a 3-1 series lead, but back-to-back 41-point performances from James in Games 5 and 6 pushed the series to Game 7 at Oracle Arena.

This set up one of the more memorable finales in NBA Finals history.

With less than two minutes remaining and the game tied, Andre Iguodala came away with the ball and made his way toward the rim on a fast break. About to convert on an easy layup, James chased down the 2015 Finals MVP and pinned his shot against the glass.

Soon after, Irving broke the tie with a cold-blooded three over Steph Curry that put the Cavs in control.

Down four in the dying seconds, Golden State misfired at the buzzer and James embraced a nearby Love to begin the celebration of his third title.

“This was for them,” James said on winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy for Cleveland.

“I gave everything that I had for 48 minutes.”

 

2017-2018: The Next Chapter

 

Even though the results were similar in many ways, last season felt different.

Once again, James had an MVP-calibre season. Once again, he carried the Cavs back to the Finals – his eighth straight title appearance – before falling to the Warriors. And once again, like they did in 2010 and in 2014, rumours swirled about his next destination. On the first official day of free agency, James gave us an answer.

He signed a four-year, $153.3 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, confirming years of speculation of James’ desire to play in sunny California.

As he makes his return tonight, there might still be jersey burning or boos from Cavs fans, but it’s impossible to deny 11 seasons worth of memories.

Now, it’s Los Angeles’ turn to make some of their own.