National Basketball Association

Court-crashing Cavs fan who approached LeBron says his arena ban has been lifted

Published Sep. 22, 2014 1:11 p.m. ET

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Brett Smiley

In the fourth quarter of a Cavaliers-Heat game in March 2013 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Cavs superfan James Blair dashed onto the court during live action with a message on his shirt for LeBron James: "We Miss You" (front) and "2014 Come Back" (back). 

Officials stopped play, but Blair wandered among the players and even made contact with James (who didn't appear too bothered, as evidenced by the image above) before security captured the rogue fan and dragged him away.

The stunt earned Blair viral fame, a criminal trespassing charge and a one-year ban from The Q, a ban that Blair claimed on Friday that the Cavs had lifted.

Cleveland blog Fear the Sword says a Cavaliers team official confirmed as much:

Don't quite remember how the incident unfolded? Watch.

Obviously, James Blair got his wish this past summer. On July 6, five days before James revealed that he would return home to Cleveland, Blair posted the following to his Twitter account:

No regrets.

LeBron James has no problem with Blair, even telling Sports Illustrated, "He's my guy," recalling a moment at the Heat's 2013 championship celebration when LeBron smiled and waved at Blair, who had flown from Cleveland to attend the bash. 

Said Blair in a 2013 ESPN the Magazine feature:

So LeBron likes Blair and obviously doesn't view him as a threat. 

"I think the goal is pretty much done with everyone knowing that I am probably the biggest LeBron fan that is out there," Blair told ESPN in 2013. "But I still would obviously like to meet LeBron in a different setting, where I actually get to talk to him besides right before I'm going to jail."

Kind of a weird goal for an adult, but he succeeded.

Cleveland Cavaliers fan James Blair is escorted by arena security after he ran onto the court in the fourth quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena.

As for the meeting, Blair should try a Nike shoe release, a charity event, an autograph signing -- anything but storming the court again.

[H/T Eye on Basketball]

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