LeBron James made an announcement 10 years ago that caused some people anxiety and excitement for others. He made the decision to leave Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat.
A former James teammate was very disappointed and sad about leaving Cleveland. He wasn’t the only one, though.
LeBron James 2009-10 season with the Cavaliers
Entering the 2009-10 season, James was coming out of an impressive season in which he was named NBA MVP. James was ready to lead his time on a deep post-season push. The Knights lost Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals the previous season, and that didn’t go too well with James. During the 2009-10 season, James was forced to fill the guard role, and managed it well. James led the Cavaliers to a 61-21 record, which was the best in the NBA.
He averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 thefts per game. James led the team in scoring, assisting and stealing. Take James off that team and they don’t have the success they did. James’ performance that season allowed him to win the NBA MVP award for the second consecutive season. The award was well deserved for James as he put together one of the best seasons of his career.
Entering the playoffs, James had high hopes of taking the Knights to the NBA finals. In the first round, they took care of the Chicago Bulls, defeating them 4-1. During these five games, James averaged 31.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cavaliers had a tough test against the Boston Celtics. James failed to pass his team against the Celtics as they fell over them in the 4-2 series. Cleveland was disappointed with James’ performance during that series, and they didn’t know it would be the last time he had worn a Cavaliers shirt for a while.
LeBron James brings his talents to South Beach
On July 8, 2010, James decided to make his decision broadcast on national television. “This fall I will bring my talents to South Beach,” said James. That’s right, his career in Cleveland was over at the time, and he was now a member of the Miami Heat. Cleveland fans were shocked to hear that James was leaving. Some fans were burning his shirt and ripping his posters off the ground.
For James, the decision paid off as he continued to win consecutive titles with Heat. He wanted to win a championship, and that’s what he did. It was certainly not an easy decision for James, but it was the right move to make in his mind.
Former LeBron teammate James was injured when he discovered his decision to leave Cleveland
Jamario Moon was a teammate with James on the Knights. Moon was known for his jumping skills and had the opportunity to play with one of the greatest players in NBA history. In an appearance on Scoop B. Podcast, Moon spoke of his reaction by observing James’ decision.
“He was like a long funeral monk. It was like everything – I’m serious, it was like the air had been sucked in by everyone like “Friend, I can’t believe it”. But I think the fans … were injured. As if they were, like, LeBron was married to them and he was cheating on us or something, “Moon said. He was heartbroken to see him leave, as did many other people. But James would return to Cleveland and help the team. to win their first title in franchise history.
