San Antonio Spurs fans taunt Miami Heat's LeBron James during the third quarter in Game 2 of their NBA Finals basketball series in San Antonio, Texas, June 8, 2014.
San Antonio Spurs fans taunt Miami Heat's LeBron James during the third quarter in Game 2 of their NBA Finals basketball series in San Antonio, Texas, June 8, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Stone

The king of the NBA is making his return to the sunny shores of South Beach and it is unclear if the two-time champion will be received with a welcoming applause and standing ovation. LeBron James makes his first appearance Christmas Day at the American Airlines Arena, the venue where he guided the Heat to its second and third NBA championships.

Since 2008, James has not suffered a loss during the annual NBA Christmas Games and picking him to win again against his former team might be the safe bet here. The four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) is ready for the reunion with his former Big Three buddies Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and revealed that he is looking forward to coming back to the franchise that gave him his NBA championships.

''To say I haven't thought about going back, I would be lying,'' James told FOX Sports during Cleveland's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night. ''It's going to be great to be back in that building around those unbelievable fans and the memories will definitely come back, being a part of the organization for four years.''

For the Heat players, the feeling of respect is mutual. Wade said that he still values his friendship with James, even after he chose to go back to his hometown of Ohio. James has remained in contact with most of his former teammates including coach Erik Spoelstra and the forthcoming reunion would be expectedly be far off from the animosity he got when he first return in the Quicken Loans Arena way back Dec. 2, 2010. James was greeted back then with a chorus of boos, fan made t-shirts touting him as a traitor and an atmosphere that made him the number one villain in the NBA.

Pat Riley's organization plan to honour their former superstar with a video tribute during a timeout and another is planned for a fellow former Heat player, sharpshooter James Jones. This would be a sign that both sides are still in contact with each other and are faring well in the relationship department.

The Heat have planned an extravagant celebration for this year's Christmas Day games with the Everglades Legacy Choir of Miramar's Everglades High School opening the day with the national anthem and rap sensation Flo Rida performing during halftime. The teams will also use specialized jerseys during the games with the team's logo on the front and the player's first name on the back. The game will be televised 5 P.M. Eastern Time at ABC and can also be seen at NBA League Pass.