James Won’t Rule Out Return to Cavaliers
CLEVELAND — Could LeBron James see himself playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers again? He won’t rule it out and said that if he decided to return someday he hopes the town’s famously scorned fans would accept him back.
James qualified it all by saying he’s happy playing for the championship-contending Miami Heat. But making his third return to Cleveland since his high-profile free-agency departure, hard feelings seem to be thawing from James’ perspective.
“I think it would be great, it would be fun to play in front of these fans again,” James said after the Heat’s practice Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena.
“I had a lot of fun times here. You can’t predict the future. Hopefully you continue to stay healthy. I’m here as a Miami player and I’m happy where I am now but I don’t rule that out in any sense. If I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me.”
Dwyane Wade, who helped convince James to leave Cleveland two years ago, admitted he could see James coming back — but not in the near future.
“Anything is possible,” Wade said. “Hopefully I’m retired.”
James, who is under contract with the Heat for two more seasons with an option for two more, also seemed to extend an olive branch to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. The two have taken various high-profile shots at each other since James’ departure in July of 2010. The most memorable was Gilbert’s rambling open letter to Cavs fans the night James announced his decision on ESPN.
“I don’t hold grudges, I hold them a little bit but I don’t hold them that long,” James said. “He said what he said out of anger. He probably would want to take that back, but I made a mistake, too. There’s some things I’d want to take back as well. You learn from your mistakes and move on.”
