MIAMI, Fla. -- The heavily anticipated return of LeBron James for a nationally televised game against his old team on Christmas Day is a dream scenario for the NBA, who will be eager to drum up ratings on a marquee day of basketball.
For the Miami Heat and their fans however, it may be a celebratory, melancholic or even a rowdy affair that is sure to bring out a wide range of emotions from all participants involved.
Coming off their worst loss of the season to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, the Miami Heat will simply be trying to focus on getting back on track with the continued absence of Chris Bosh. But there is no denying the drama that will unfold at the AmericanAirlines Arena and the Heat players understand that. After Wednesday's practice, none of them brought out the cliche of this being just another basketball game but instead spoke of the respect they had for James and his decision to return home.
"I can't speak on how the fans will be," said Heat lifer Udonis Haslem on what the reaction might be from fans when James makes his entrance as a member again of the Cleveland Cavaliers. "But I hope it will be classy and people will be appreciative of what he's done for us for the last four years."
On one hand, there is no question that the Heat franchise and their fans owe a large measure of gratitude to James for being the driving force behind the team's four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two straight titles.
Then again, there will also be those who will blame him for the Heat's current malaise or will still hold him to his statement at the infamous celebration rally four years ago that he would help bring several championships to Miami. It's also a certainty that many fans attending the sold-out game will feel a mixture of several emotions, both good and bad. What likely won't happen is the vitriol that Cavaliers fans directed at James in his return to the Quicken Loans Arena as a member of the Heat.
Dwyane Wade, for one, believes Heat fans should welcome back his close friend with a celebration of what they were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.
"He should get an unbelievable ovation," he said. "He should get one, James Jones should get one and we already gave Mike Miller his for coming back. Then when the game comes on, you root for your team and you want the other team to do bad. That's the way it goes."
Wade has put up impressive stats as the lone remaining member of the Big 3 currently playing in a Heat uniform but he's certain that Miami will be appreciative of what LeBron brought to the franchise while he was here.
"He left an unbelievable legacy here," said Wade. "In four years he did what players haven't done in their whole career. He went to the Finals, he got MVP awards, and Finals MVP awards."
Though Mario Chalmers was frequently the victim of James' outbursts on the court during their time together, the two of them eventually became good friends and continue to stay in touch.
"I don't think it's going to be awkward at all," said Chalmers on the reunion. "I think it's going to be fun. There's going to be a lot of anticipation for the game. I'm sure he's going to bring his 'A' game. The fans are going to be there so we have to bring our 'A' game as well."
Coach Erik Spoelstra and his team have insisted for a while now that the preseason game in Brazil took care of any initial awkwardness. What remains for Spoelstra is a deep appreciation for the excitement, star power and otherworldly basketball talents that James bestowed to South Florida starting in 2010.
The accompanying success on the floor however was first and foremost a product of the Heat organization with significant contributions from every player on the team and that is something Spoelstra remains proud of now and well into the future.
"Yeah, it'll be different, but it's not as if we're trying to deny what happened the last four years," said Spoelstra after practice wrapped up on Christmas Eve. "You look around the arena and there's still pictures of LeBron. There's still a celebration of what we were able to accomplish over those four years. I have not taken down my pictures in my office downstairs. So that's where I am about it but I have a job to do."
There is also the feeling among many Heat fans that James' departure could have been handled better and that the organization deserved earlier notice from his representatives so that they could have been better prepared during the free agency period.
Whatever negativity some may still feel, Haslem hopes they will remember the good times as well.
"That doesn't take away from what he gave us in the four years that he was here," he said. "It was an amazing four years. We had a lot of fun. We had a lot of success. It was a great time and I'll never forget it."
<p><i>You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter <b><a href="https://twitter.com/SuryaHeatNBA" target="_blank">@SuryaHeatNBA</a></b> or email him at <b><a adhocenable="false" href="mailto:SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com" data-bypass="true">SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com</a></b>.</i></p>
