When LeBron James was on his way to Cleveland for the first time as a new member of the Miami Heat in December, there was a lot of angry commotion surrounding Quicken Loans Arena. Now that the hubbub has died down some, Akron’s native son isn’t so worried about the return to his former home — in fact, he’s looking forward to it.
This time around, the Heat had the day before the matchup off, so LeBron was able to spend time with his family and friends in Akron on Monday. The extra day was ideal for the former Cleveland star, the Huffington Post reports. Tuesday night’s matchup, however, could be a different story.
“What do I expect on Tuesday? I don’t know,” LeBron told the media. “It can’t get no worse than December 2, I know that. I know that for a fact.”
He may be right on that one. During his first run through Cleveland, fans were purchasing “LeFraud” t-shirts and “LeQuitter” hats in hordes — and that was just before the game. During the matchup, LeBron was showered with taunts and jeers as fans screamed “Akron hates you” repeatedly throughout the night. The Heat star also needed extra security to ensure nothing was thrown at him while he was sitting on the bench.
This time around will likely not have the same intensity levels as his first time through in a Heat jersey, since the game has received little-to-no hype before the tipoff.
However, never underestimate the scorned Cavs fans. There are likely plenty of fans that still feel the sting of LeBron’s decision, and will let him hear it at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night.
Check out LeBron’s take in the video below.
