LeBron James Explains Why He Signed For Cleveland Cavalier

After much controversy on the next path for LeBron James after he became a free agent, he is turned to his home franchise - Cleveland Cavaliers.

The superstar announced the decision via an exclusive with Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated:

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. ... 

... 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

James, 29, informed the Heat he was exercising his early-termination option on June 24, forgoing the final two years of his deal. After four seasons, each of which ended in an NBA Finals berth and two with James cradling the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Heat always seemed like decisive favorites for his services. When Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh both left $40-plus million on the table to follow suit, it looked like a foregone conclusion

As the days stretched on with silence from James' camp, speculation grew that he could be entertaining other overtures.

Cleveland, James' former NBA home and oft-speculated future destination, again pitched a homecoming. The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers explored ways to open the necessary cap space or even trade incumbent superstars to Miami in hopes of luring James. The Suns, Mavericks, Cavaliers and Rockets became so-called finalists, getting meetings with James' agent, Rich Paul.