David Stern: We tried very hard for LeBron James’ “The Decision” not to happen

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LeBron James

Former NBA commissioner David Stern says he knew there would be negative consequences following LeBron James’ “The Decision” special which aired in the summer of 2010.

James announced on live T.V. he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat, causing uproar all over the NBA world.

Stern knew from the beginning that “The Decision” was a bad idea.

Via Zach Lowe of ESPN, quoting Ian Thomsen’s The Soul of Basketball:

“It was terrible,” Stern said. “It was terrible on its own. It is fair to say that we knew it was going to be terrible, and we tried very hard for it not to happen.”

LeBron James’ reputation took a huge hit after “The Decision.” He was booed emphatically in every road arena during the first season of the Miami Heat Big Three. James has even apologized and expressed regret for how he announced his departure from Cleveland for Miami.

James went to four-straight Finals with the Heat, winning two rings. The four-time MVP won a lot of fans back when he returned to the Cavs in 2014. James and the Cavs won the 2016 championship over the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit in the Finals.

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