James left Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer after his second stint at the franchise.
The Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA title in his second term there, and reached four straight NBA finals.
He will be given a standing ovation by fans in the Quicken Loans Arena tonight, and will be honoured with a video tribute during the early stages of the game.
It was not the same in 2010, however, as James returned for the first time with the Miami Heat.
The superstar was flanked by bodyguards, extra security was hired to control fans, and beer was served in paper cups as James was booed throughout the game and whenever he appeared on the big screen.
James admitted to ESPN that the reception he got was something he has not forgotten.
“It was something that nobody had ever seen before,” he explained.
“Everybody knew the emotions behind it, cable television made sure that they captured every moment.
“It was an eerie feeling, just going back.
“It was an uncomfortable feeling going back because of the situation. And I knew how up in bunches everybody was.
“The only thing I was talking about was, ‘How can I play well?’ I wanted to play well. I wanted to play well more than anything.
“I knew that I had a group of guys that were going to ride for me that night, no matter what.
“That was just the makeup of our club. I wasn’t worried about that. But it was an eerie night.”
James scored 38 points as the Heat ran out dominant winners over the Cavaliers, and the forward says he didn’t care about the boos once he was playing.
“Once I hit the court, I’m in my safe haven,” he said.
“Once I hit the court in warm-ups, you could hear the boos. It was probably the loudest I’ve ever heard boos in my life. I felt the animosity.
“I felt the scrutiny. But once the ball was tipped, I’m in my safe haven. There’s nothing that can stop me from trying to be the best I can be.
“I mean, I will never forget it. I’ll never forget both instances. I will never forget Dec. 2, 2010, and I will never forget us winning the championship in 2016 and that parade.
“Those are two things that will always be instilled in me for the rest of my career. It’s both.
“There’s a negative side and there’s a positive side to it. It doesn’t stop me from pushing forward, but it’s something that I definitely, I don’t forget.”