LeBron's Return to Cleveland Feels Familiar—Until You Look Deeper

Much like in 2010, LeBron James returns to Cleveland on Wednesday as an MVP frontrunner on a glitzy new team. But not everything is the same as it was eight years ago—including LeBron's image in his hometown.

LeBron James and the newly-minted Heatles strolled into Cleveland on Dec. 2, 2010, greeted by bloodthirsty boos, chants of “Scott-ie Pipp-en!” and cutting signs that were clearly months in the making. Traitors don’t leave legacies. The Decision: Stay or Betray. What should you do? Beg for mercy. Who needs LeBron if you’ve got Bieber fever?

The ensuing game—James’s first in Cleveland since leaving for Miami that July—begged for an apology that was never going to come. Despite the messy…