LeBron James is going home by signing with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, he said in a first-person article in Sports Illustrated on Friday.

The signing reunites the Cavaliers with James, who four years ago left the team in a messy divorce to join a star-studded Miami Heat team he led to four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and two championships.

Under a banner headline "I'm Coming Home" on si.com, free agent James announced his decision.

"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."