NEW YORK » LeBron James’ homecoming game is set for Dec. 2.

The NBA’s 2010-11 schedule sends James and the Miami Heat to Cleveland that night for the MVP’s first game in Ohio as the visitor.

Fans who watched the kid from Akron turn the Cavaliers into one of the league’s best teams were irate when James went on national TV last month to announce he was leaving as a free agent.

The league unveiled its full schedule yesterday after releasing portions of it a week ago. The Heat’s first game, on Oct. 26 at Boston, and first matchup with the defending champion Lakers on Christmas had already been announced.

The Lakers and Celtics will meet for the first time since Game 7 of the NBA Finals, on Jan. 30 in Los Angeles. The rematch in Boston comes on Feb. 10.

Chris Bosh, who like James went to Miami to form an All-Star trio with Dwyane Wade, will face his old fans for the first time when the Heat visit Toronto on Feb. 16.

McGrady joins Pistons

Tracy McGrady is getting a chance to rejuvenate his career with a team hoping for a rebound of its own.

McGrady and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a $1.3 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press yesterday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.

McGrady, a seven-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion, has played just 65 games the past two seasons with Houston and New York because he had major surgery on his left knee in the middle of the 2008-09 season.

The 6-foot-8 wing drew some interest from teams this summer, including the Chicago Bulls, before choosing to play for Detroit.

Now, the Pistons might have a greater sense of urgency to trade Richard Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince to fix their logjam on the perimeter.

The 31-year-old McGrady averaged 8.2 points last season, his lowest-scoring season since 1997-98 when he was a rookie with the Toronto Raptors.