MIAMI – Minutes before his game against the Heat Thursday, LeBron James said he was going to help his Cleveland Cavaliers win despite his love for Miami.
Coming back to his former Biscayne Bay home. He said it felt "weird" and even felt "some butterflies" when he walked around the American Airlines Arena.
"I spent seven years coming to this locker room. ... I played some great basketball here," James said.
James oversaw the best chapter of Miami Heat history. Heat fans followed him through two championships, four trips to the NBA Finals and the second-longest winning streak in league history at 27 games.
"I can't live with the past or live with regrets," he said about his decision to leave the Miami Heat to go back home to Cleveland.
James said he had been looking forward to coming back to Miami. He has a lot of memories, he said, and he has built a lot of friendships.
"I miss my teammates more than anything. ... We built something that will last forever," James said.
Now his focus is on being a good NBA player and leading the young players in his team, he said. Playing against Dwayne Wade, he said, was going to be fun Thursday night.
"We have always enjoyed competing against one another," he said.