They joked that when LeBron James returned, they'd make him play in an empty arena. In reality, former fans of the star who left them for Miami have paid top dollar to witness his return to Cleveland next week.
It actually might be the most expensive regular season ticket in Cavaliers history. Fans are paying an average of $234 per seat on the secondary market for the Dec. 2 game, according to StubHub. That's the highest average price for a non-playoff game for as far back as StubHub's data goes. The previous high was January 2010 when the Lakers came to play in Cleveland. The average price for that game was $202, StubHub's Joellen Ferrer said.
The Cavaliers are bracing for the reaction already, promising to ban inappropriate LeBron hating signs and gear and has beefed up security just in case it gets physical. That being said, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who wrote a vitriolic open letter to Jamesafter he announced his decision on ESPN without informing his employer for the previous seven years, promised on Twitter that the team wouldn't be the "Gestapo."
When James announced he was leaving in July fans burned his jersey in the streets. At a $234 get-in price, it's hard to see a non-season ticket holder paying big bucks like that to make a scene, but who knows?
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