Banned Cavs fan can return

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

LeBron James came back. One of his biggest fans has returned, too.

James Blair, banned by the Cavaliers after he ran onto the floor in Quickens Loans Arena during a Cleveland-Miami game in 2013, is again permitted inside the building.

Wearing a homemade T-shirt that said: “We Miss You” on the front and “2014 Come Back,” on the back, Blair spent a few seconds on the court with the NBA superstar during the Cavs game against the Heat on March 20, 2013, before he was grabbed by security. James was not threatened by the fan and went out of his way to pat him on the head as he was being whisked away.

The Cavaliers said Monday the team met with Blair and decided to lift the indefinite ban after it was deemed he did not pose a security risk. The team began reviewing Blair’s ban before James re-signed with the Cavs as a free agent this summer.

A team spokesman said James was not consulted in the review of Blair.

At the time of the incident, James said he didn’t feel endangered.

“He said he missed me and come back, please,” James said. “It happened once before in [Madison Square] Garden, so I wasn’t worried. There are metal detectors here, so we were OK. I embraced it.”

James scored 25 points as the Heat overcame a 27-point deficit in the third quarter to win their 24th straight game.