( CNN ) -- LeBron James is going home to Cleveland Thursday night wearing a Miami Heat jersey , and no less an authority than the basketball-loving president of the United States predicts a rough night . `` It 's going to be brutal , '' Barack Obama told reporters Thursday , hours before tip-off . Just to make sure the court is safe for King James , the Cleveland Cavaliers say they will beef up security at Quicken Loans Arena , NBA officials have said . Mary Schmitt Boyer , Cavaliers beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper , said local fans ' anger could surface Thursday . `` There is a good deal of anger . And I think despite many pleas from fans for sort of nonviolent protests , I think they are probably going to just let LeBron have it , '' Boyer said . Former NBA great Kevin McHale agreed that James has more to fear from the fans than the Cavaliers themselves . `` This is their chance to express how they feel . This is the one chance for the fans to yell and scream and boo and get all that off their chest , '' he told CNN . His former teammates will want to beat James , McHale said , but as a friendly rivalry , `` like wanting to beat your brother . '' James used to be the toast of Ohio but became public enemy No.1 this summer when he announced on a television special that he was leaving for South Beach to play with the Miami Heat . The decision brought much criticism and sent some Cleveland fans to the streets to burn James ' jersey . Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert seemed to add fuel to fire when he released an emotional statement on the team 's website the night James made the announcement . Gilbert called James ' decision a `` cowardly betrayal '' and a `` shocking act of disloyalty , '' part of the statement said . He then added , in all capital letters : '' I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING ' WINS ONE . You can take it to the bank . '' Gilbert , who was fined by the NBA for that statement , has since softened his tune . He recently urged Cavaliers fans to be classy when James arrives home Thursday , according to NBA.com . James joined the Cavaliers straight out of high school and played forward for the team for seven seasons . He was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player when he was with the Cavaliers but he never won the NBA championship . He led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals in 2007 , where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs , but never reached the finals again , despite Cleveland management bringing in supporting stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison . James said he will be dealing with his emotions when he returns home for the much-anticipated game . `` It 's going to be very emotional for myself , '' James told CNN affiliate WSVN . `` I got a lot of great memories in that city . I give a lot of thanks to that city , a lot of thanks to those fans for giving me the opportunity to not only showcase my talents but grow from a boy to a young man . '' CNNRadio 's Richard Benson contributed to this report .
NEW : President Obama : ` ` It 's going to be brutal '' A local reporter says fans ' anger will rise . Coach James says the game will be ` ` emotional '' Cavaliers coach Dan Reeves has told fans to be classy .