CLEVELAND, Ohio — Just when it looked as if this really might be just another game for the Cavaliers and Miami Heat, LeBron James dropped a bombshell -- two of them, really -- and the Internet and Twitter world exploded.

James said he made a mistake in the way he left Cleveland and could see himself playing for the Cavaliers again. Not even Jeremy Lin could top that news on Thursday.

"I think it would be great," James said after the Heat's practice at The Q in preparation for tonight's game against the Cavs. "It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can't predict the future, and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami Heat player, and I'm happy where I am now, but I don't rule that out in no sense.

"And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."

This discussion actually started a few weeks ago when former Plain Dealer reporter Brian Windhorst, now working for ESPN.com, suggested in a local radio interview that he could see James returning. This was the first time James was asked about that in Cleveland, and his candid responses took reporters by surprise.

Although he has hinted at this in the past and at other venues, for the first time here, James said he erred in the way he left. That admission came in response to a question about whether he had tried to patch things up with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who blasted James in an open letter to Cavs fans -- in comic sans type -- after James' defection.

"I don't have any hard feelings," James said. "He said what he said and I've moved on. But there's been no attempt to patch things up. . . . I don't hold grudges. I hold them a little bit, but I don't hold them that long.

"He said what he said out of anger and he would probably want to take that back. But I made a mistake, too, and there are some things I would want to take back as well. You learn from your mistakes and move on."

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Asked specifically if he could play for Gilbert again, James said, "Would I play for Dan again? Dan is not the coach. I can play for any coach. We'll see what happens."

This will be James' third visit to The Q with the Heat.

"I'm always excited to come back," James said. "They've got some of the best fans the NBA and the world has to offer."

He senses that fans here have mellowed a bit toward him.

"There's nothing like the first time I visited," he said of the vicious reaction he elicited in his first game here Dec. 2, 2010. "I didn't expect it to be as hostile as it was before, the first time. I understood. Time has definitely moved on."

He said he has moved on as well, admitting that relocating was more difficult than he had expected.

"I'm back to how I was in Cleveland, having fun with the game, appreciating the game, loving the game and playing at a high level," said James, who is under contract to the Heat through 2014, with options for two more seasons. "I got away from that last year. It was a difficult year for me last year, making the whole transition, on and off the floor, going through everything I went through. I just got back to how I got to this point, back to playing the way I know how to play.

"I am comfortable. I feel good. This is the best I've felt on the court in about 14 months. I feel great, trying to play at a high level, trying to help this team every night to win ball games. Love the game, appreciate the game, don't take it for granted."

Teammate -- and good friend -- Dwyane Wade sees the change in James this season.

"He's a little bit more comfortable and can be who he really is," Wade said. "Last year was tough. I'm sure no one can deal with the things he dealt with publicly and all the scrutiny that he took. I thought he did a good job with it. This year it's a little bit more quiet and he can just focus on being LeBron James, the family man and the athlete and not everything else.

"He's doing great. He looks like the LeBron that you guys came to love here in Ohio and the one that we love in Miami. He's doing a great job of leading our team. He's the front-runner for the MVP in the league right now, just playing phenomenal basketball all the way around."

James said his goal has not changed.

"No matter where my career ends up, my goal is still the same and that's to win an NBA championship," he said. "It hasn't changed. I've accomplished everything you can as an individual. . . . I've got all the awards. That stuff don't matter to me. All I want to do is win a championship. I want to do it in Miami. That's the team I'm with. Hopefully I can finish my career . . . if it's in Cleveland, if I make it to Cleveland, I want to win a championship here. That's my goal . . . make it happen this year."

As James finished his interview with the pack of reporters and walked away, Wade stepped into the void.

Could he ever imagine James returning to play in Cleveland?

"Anything is possible," Wade said. "Hopefully I'm retired."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider