LeBron James has lived through the experience of going back to face his former team, but none are likely to equal the first time he had to do so, as the new Los Angeles Lakers signing once had to go back from the bowels of Quicken Loans Arena after announcing his decision to join the Miami Heat through national television in the summer of 2010.

“It was something that nobody had ever seen before. Everybody knew the emotions behind it. Cable television made sure that they captured every moment,” said James, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst. “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.”

James was coming off seven seasons with the Cavs as the holy grail of the city of Cleveland, now making his return after what many thought was a public humiliation of the entire city during an unprecedented ESPN special to announce his decision.

“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,” the Lakers star recalled. “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.

“Once I hit the court, I'm in my safe haven. 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.”

The three-time champion will have to go through this awkward experience one more time, as the Lakers visit the Cavaliers on Wednesday night, the first time LeBron will set foot in The Q since getting swept out of the NBA Finals in June.

“I mean, I will never forget it. I'll never forget both instances,” said James. “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.”