CLEVELAND, Ohio -- King James has reclaimed his throne in Cleveland. 
 
 LeBron James stunned the NBA on Friday around noon when he announced his long-awaited free agency decision, choosing to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and leaving the Miami Heat. According to reports, he will sign a four-year, $88 million max contract. 
 
 James made the announcement on Sports Illustrated's website in a letter, writing "In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have. I'm ready to accept the challenge. I'm coming home." 
 
 James tried to take a subdued approach to free agency this offseason. He chose to have his agent Rich Paul handle initial meetings with teams. Despite James' silence, rumors and speculation ran rampant during the process. People constantly refreshed Twitter accounts and websites for any morsel of information or clue to his decision. 
 
 James met with Heat president Pat Riley in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The smooth-talking executive from Miami attempted to show James the stability in the Heat organization compared to what has gone on in Cleveland recently, with coaching and front office changes, but this time, Riley wasn't able to convince James to keep his talents in South Beach. 
 
 "I am shocked & disappointed in today's news," Heat owner Micky Arison posted on Twitter. “However I will never forget what LeBron brought us for 4 years. Thanks for memories @KingJames.” 
 
 "When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two," James wrote. "But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio." 
 
 Fans across Northeast Ohio celebrated James' return, donning his jersey and taking photos outside Quicken Loans Arena. 
 
 New Cavaliers coach David Blatt and his players learned the news around 12:45 p.m. Eastern time during a team shootaround before Friday night's Summer League opener in Las Vegas and said, James "just lifted a whole state by himself." 
 
 James joins a talented young roster, at least for now, with No. 1 overall picks Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins, as well as Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and former teammate Anderson Varejao. 
 
 James singled out many in his letter: "I see myself as a mentor now and I'm excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can't wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates." 
 
 "Welcome Home @kingjames," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote on Twitter. "I am excited for the fans and people of Cleveland and Ohio. No fans and people deserve a winner more than them." 
 
 Hours before this decision, ESPN reported Gilbert's infamous comic sans letter might be a road block to James' return to Cleveland. It wasn't. 
 
 "I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man," James wrote. "We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?" 
 
 "We had five great years together and one terrible night," Gilbert told James in a meeting last Sunday, Yahoo reported. 
 
 The Cavaliers are expected to add pieces to complement James via free agency or trades. The team cleared $21.7 million in cap space and acquired a trade exception in a multi-team deal that sent Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev to the Nets and Tyler Zeller to Boston. The trade was made official on Thursday morning. 
 
 There have been reports the Cavaliers might be interested in trading for Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, but may balk if it costs them Wiggins. 
 
 Ray Allen is another name the Cavs could have an interest in, according to league sources. Allen has spent the last two seasons in Miami, and hit the memorable three-pointer, which propelled the Heat to their second straight title two seasons ago. 
 
 James, the Cavs' all-time leader in scoring and other categories, took Miami to the NBA Finals four straight seasons, winning the title twice. Not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven as he famously predicted when he first signed there. 
 
 Former teammate Chris Bosh signed a max contract to stay with the Heat hours after James' decision. Dwyane Wade is expected to do the same. 
 
 "While I am disappointed by LeBron's decision to leave Miami, no one can fault another person for wanting to return home," Riley said in a statement on the Heat website. 
 
 Riley went on to say, "We've won multiple championships and competed for many others ... We've proven that we can do it and we'll do it again." 
 
 James opened his letter announcing his return to Cleveland as follows: "Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It's where I walked. It's where I ran. It's where I cried. It's where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. 
 
 "People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I'm their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn't realize that four years ago. I do now." ||||| (CNN) -- Forget the burned jerseys. Never mind The Letter. LeBron James won titles in Miami but his heart was in Cleveland, and he's ready to go home. 
 
 James told Sports Illustrated for an essay published Friday that he'll leave the Miami Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers -- a sensational return to his home region that he devastated when he left via free agency in 2010. 
 
 "I always believed that I'd return to Cleveland and finish my career there," the four-time NBA MVP said in a piece he wrote with SI's Lee Jenkins. "I just didn't know when." 
 
 "I looked at other teams," the 29-year-old wrote, "but I wasn't going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy." 
 
 No terms were released, and the Cavs said no contract had been signed as of early Friday afternoon. When James will sign the contract has yet to be determined, Cavaliers Senior Vice President Tad Carper said. 
 
 Numerous reports say that the maximum salary in the first year of a contract for an 11-year NBA veteran, like James, is $20.64 million, though there are exceptions. 
 
 His move marks the end of a four-year partnership with stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami -- a run that saw James get his first two NBA titles. 
 
 But the return to the Cavaliers, which drafted James in 2003, allows the prodigal son and his native community to reconnect after a separation that shook both. The lakeside city that is long starved for a professional sports championship embraced him Friday. 
 
 How James is going to make $1 billion 
 
 Fans drove past his Cleveland-area home and honked horns after the news spread. Patrons at a restaurant gushed when a reporter asked what they thought of the move. 
 
 "LBJ's coming home! Can't wait! Championship!" a man told CNN affiliate WEWS. 
 
 "Cleveland fans are trying to figure out how to unburn their LeBron jerseys," Twitter user nic_johnston44 wrote. 
 
 Pat Riley, the Heat president who lured James away in 2010, said Friday that although he was disappointed, "no one can fault another person for wanting to return home." 
 
 "The last four years have been an incredible run for South Florida, Heat fans, our organization and for all of the players who were a part of it. LeBron is a fantastic leader, athlete, teammate and person, and we are all sorry to see him go," Riley said. 
 
 What about The Letter? "We've talked it out" 
 
 In 2010, James and marquee free agent Bosh left their teams to join Wade in Miami -- with James, looking for NBA championships, famously announcing his move in an ESPN special called "The Decision." 
 
 After reaching four straight NBA finals with Miami, James exercised his contract option this summer to become a free agent two years early. 
 
 James was a Cleveland hero, growing up some 45 miles away in Akron and starring seven years with the Cavs. But his 2010 departure -- and the way he did it, telling ESPN that he was "taking my talents to South Beach" -- rankled the people of Cleveland, with fans burning James jerseys and stomping on his likeness. 
 
 Internet responds with LeBron memes 
 
 If those fans torched the figurative bridge, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert vaporized it with a scathing letter blasting James' "cowardly betrayal" and, in a forecast that didn't quite pan out, promising that the Cavs would win an NBA title "before the self-titled former 'king' wins one." 
 
 How could James return to the team after that? 
 
 "I've met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We've talked it out," the Sports Illustrated story reads. "Everybody makes mistakes. I've made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge? 
 
 He also addressed Cleveland fans' negative reaction to his Miami move. 
 
 "It was easy to say, 'OK, I don't want to deal with these people ever again.' But then you think about the other side," he wrote. "What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react?" 
 
 Twitter reacts 
 
 So he felt OK to return to Cleveland, where he feels he has unfinished business. In his first Cavs stint, he won two league MVP awards and went to the NBA finals once, but won no ring. 
 
 The interest was mutual, and the Cavaliers made their intentions known when they shipped off Jarrett Jack, Sergey Karasev, Tyler Zeller and a future first-round draft pick to clear the salary cap space necessary to sign James. 
 
 James joins a Cavaliers team that has struggled, making no playoffs and picking first three times in the NBA draft since James' departure. Those picks were two-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, UNLV's Anthony Bennett and University of Kansas phenom Andrew Wiggins, all currently in Cleveland's possession. 
 
 James: Miami was "almost like college" 
 
 In the SI piece, James said he'd still have left for Miami if he had to do it all over again. It could be described as the college experience that he never had. 
 
 "Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids," James, who went pro straight out of high school, said in Sports Illustrated. "These past four years helped raise me into who I am." 
 
 His ties to his home, he said, pulled him back. 
 
 "My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn't realize that four years ago. I do now." 
 
 Bringing trophy to Cleveland "most important" 
 
 James' Instagram account Friday had a photo, showing him in a Cavaliers jersey, said: "I'm coming home." 
 
 In the SI piece, James wrote that his "goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question." 
 
 "But what's most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio," he wrote. 
 
 "I'm not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver," James added. "We're not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I'm realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010." 
 
 White House takes notice 
 
 The news generated intense interest as soon as it broke, around 12:30 p.m. ET Friday. Three of the top 10 trending terms on Twitter were almost instantly related to James. 
 
 It even came up in the daily press briefing at the White House. When asked, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he didn't know if noted NBA fan President Obama had a reaction to James' move. 
 
 But Earnest added: "The fact that he has made this decision is a testament to the kinds of values that he has incorporated into his life and he says that he is interested in instilling in his children." 
 
 "I think it is a pretty powerful statement about the value of a place that you consider home," Earnest said. 
 
 Professional athletes weighed in. From Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on Twitter: "Congrats to my man @KingJames on Cleveland! Too bad we don't have the #Sonics #NoPlaceLikeHome." 
 
 Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith said on Twitter: "I'm happy Lebron is going to CLE....not that he owes anyone anything but he means more to that city than anywhere else in the world! Iconic." 
 
 CNN's Michael Pearson, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Jason Durand and Jill Martin contributed to this report. ||||| NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—N.B.A. superstar LeBron James said Tuesday morning that he would announce the name of the team that he is signing with on Thursday at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly to be convened especially for that purpose. 
 
 “This decision affects everyone on the planet,” James said. “I want to let all the nations on Earth know at the same time.” 
 
 An emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday was deadlocked on the issue, with seven members wanting James to remain in Miami, seven others hoping for a return to Cleveland, and Lithuania abstaining. ||||| Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now. 
 
 Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today. 
 
 I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life. I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years. 
 
 I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true. 
 
 I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work. 
 
 When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio. 
 
 I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy. 
 
 To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned -- seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge? 
 
 I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates. 
 
 But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get. 
 
 In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have. 
 
 I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.
– LeBron James is heading back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he first became a superstar. As the local Plain Dealer puts it, "King James has reclaimed his throne." And as James himself puts it, "I'm coming home." In an essay at Sports Illustrated, James explains his decision by saying that he wouldn't leave the Miami Heat for any team but Cleveland. "Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio," he writes. "It holds a special place in my heart." The feeling is apparently mutual, because CNN reports that car horns could be heard honking in celebration when the news broke. At the New Yorker, satirist Andy Borowitz pokes some fun at the hype, writing that James was to formally announce his decision at the UN. “This decision affects everyone on the planet,” he has James saying. “I want to let all the nations on Earth know at the same time.” (Which is a reminder of the way James made his 2010 announcement that he was leaving Cleveland.)