By Editor Kathy Wray Coleman, a community activist and 20-year investigative reporter who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) /(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Cleveland's favorite son, NBA mega star LeBron James (pictured), who is returning to the majority Black major American city to again play for the Cavaliers, a team he left  in 2010 to join the Miami Heat, will be saluted this evening, August 8, in his native city of Akron at a free welcoming home celebration at the 30,000- seat stadium at the University of Akron.

Akron is a city some 30 miles south of Cleveland, and has a population of some 200,000 people. It is roughly 29 percent Black.

Gates open at 6:15 pm and the event is scheduled to begin at 7:15 pm.

The free entrance tickets are all gone and the stadium is expected to be filled to capacity.

Alcoholic beverages, weapons, outside food and fireworks are among items prohibited, event organizers said.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has agreed to pay James $42.1 million over two years, a contract the power forward signed last month.

James' transition back to Cleveland puts the Cavs in a likely playoffs contenders position after losing four straight years in a row, sports analyses experts have said.

Several factors contributed to his decision to return to Cleveland, sources say, including the firing of Cavs coach Mike Brown, who is Black, the Cavs drafted Andrew Higgins in the first round of the NBA draft in June, the Miami Heat lost the championship this year to the San Antonio Spurs, and Kyrie Irving will stay on with the Cavs. And since James became an official Cavs player, again,  team officials recruited Mike Miller from the Miami Heat, a close basketball colleague of James who was expected to join him in Cleveland, insiders have said.

Though a free agent this year, as he was in 2010 when he left for Miami, few of his fans truly believed that James would come home to Cleveland, but he did. And much of Ohio is elated with his return, one highlighted by a  baby girl on the way with James, 29, and his wife Savannah, who also have two young sons.

James played high school basketball at St Vincent-St Mary High school in Akron and after graduating he was selected as the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft by the Cavaliers. He went on to lead Cleveland, in 2007, to its first finals appearance, losing to San Antonio. He left for Miami as a free agent in 2010 amid a dispute with Gilbert. He was chosen, in both 2012 and 2013, as the most valuable player of the NBA championship series. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) /(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)