Cavs' Williams has mixed emotions for LeBron's return

CLEVELAND - Mo Williams' thoughts on his former teammate and good friend LeBron James' return to Cleveland?

Said Williams, "It's almost like your ex-girlfriend coming to your wedding."

Williams was one of James' closest friends on the Cavaliers, and he has said he was so blindsided by James' decision to go to Miami that he contemplated retirement.

Williams hasn't talked to James since The Decision. And it was clear from Williams' manner, if not his words, when he talked to reporters before last night's game that the wound hasn't completely healed.

Williams refused to directly answer questions about whether he thinks his relationship with James will ever mend, saying, "I'm excited about the game tonight."

Williams was doing just about anything he could to get a dig in to James Thursday.

For his post-shootaround news conference he donned a Red Sox jacket, presumably because James is such a devoted Yankees fan. "I don't like Boston," Williams said with a smile, adding that he just liked the way the jacket felt.

Cavaliers fans made a big show of supporting Williams during the pregame, cheering him loudly every time his face appeared on the scoreboard screen. Williams had talked all week long of how much the fans meant to the team, and how he hoped they would send James a message this week.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," Williams said. "I think we should try to let those words hurt a little bit, but try to keep the sticks and stones away."