Lebron James headed back to Cleveland Cavaliers

NEW YORK -- LeBron James is heading back to Cleveland.

The four-time league MVP told SI.com on Friday that he is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball," James told SI.com in a first-person essay. "I didn't realize that four years ago. I do now."

For James, it marks a complete turnaround from his original free-agent decision in 2010, when he bolted Cleveland for the Miami Heat, creating a "Big Three" with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh that went on to win two NBA titles in their four years together.

"The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys," James said. "I've talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished."

The Heat were in the mix for James again this time around. Team president Pat Riley traveled to Las Vegas to meet James on Wednesday in an attempt to lure him back to Miami after the All-Star opted out of his contract following the team's NBA Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

But James said no to Riley and the Heat, instead choosing a Cleveland team that picked him No. 1 overall in the 2003 draft out of St. Vincent-St. Mary, where he starred as a high-school player in his native Akron, Ohio.

In the days leading up to LeBron's decision, much was made of the infamous letter Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert issued in the wake of James' departure in 2010, calling James a "coward" for leaving.

"I've met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We've talked it out," James said. "Everybody makes mistakes. I've made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?"

CLICK HERE to read Lebron's full letter, as told to SI.com.