LeBron James will join fellow-NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat.

Ending weeks of silence and drama, the two-time MVP said on his ESPN television special from Greenwich, Connecticut, last night that he's decided to join the Miami Heat and leave the Cleveland Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the championship he covets.

"The best opportunity to win and to win now and to win in the future also," James said. "Winning is a huge thing for me."

It's a huge victory for the Heat, who got commitments from Wade and Bosh on Wednesday. That duo, along with James, formed the upper echelon of the most-celebrated free-agent period in league history.

quest for a dynasty

Heat president Pat Riley landed them all, three stars to help shape his quest for a dynasty in Miami.

And for Cleveland, a city scorned for generations by some of sports' biggest letdowns, James' long-awaited words represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.

James said he made the decision on Thursday morning and knows it won't go over well in Ohio.

"They can have mixed emotions, of course," James said, adding that Akron will "always be home for me."

Cavs fans hurt by LeBron's decision

CLEVELAND (AP):

Cleveland fans gathered around televisions yelled in anguish as LeBron James announced he will leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat.

At a shopping area in suburban Westlake hundreds of people who had clamoured around TVs turned their backs and headed home when James made the announcement on ESPN last night.

A loud "no" was heard the moment after James said he was leaving.

Fans across the northeast Ohio region had sung, danced and cheered in a campaign to keep James. "LeBron Watch" parties featured dunk tanks, beer specials and poster giveaways.

Extra police officers were stationed downtown to handle any crowds.