LeBron James made an announcement 10 years ago that caused a lot of anxiety for some people and excitement for others. He made the decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat.
A former James teammate was very disappointed and sad that he was leaving Cleveland. However, he was not alone.
LeBron James 2009-10 season with the Cavaliers
Upon entering the 2009-10 season, James was emerging from an impressive season in which he was named NBA MVP. James was ready to take his time to a deep postseason boost. The Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season, and that didn’t sit well with James. During the 2009-10 season, James was forced into the starting position and handled 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 steals per game. James led the team in scoring, assists and steals. You take James out of that team, and they don’t have the success they had. James’ performance that season allowed him to win the NBA MVP Award for the second consecutive season. The award was well deserved for James when he put together one of the best seasons of his career.
Upon reaching the playoffs, James had high hopes of leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. In the first round, they took over the Chicago Bulls, defeating them 4-1. During those 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 was unable to beat his team with the Celtics as they fell to them in series 4-2. Cleveland was disappointed with James’ performance during that series, and little did they know it would be the last time he wore a Cavaliers jersey for a while.
LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach
On July 8, 2010, James decided to make his televised decision on national television. “This fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach,” said James. Just like that, his career in Cleveland had ended at the time, and he was now a member of the Miami Heat. Cleveland fans were angered to hear that James was leaving. Some fans were burning his shirt and ripping posters of him to the ground.
For James, the decision paid off as he won consecutive titles with the Heat. He wanted to win a championship, and that’s what he did. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision for James to make, but it was the right move in his mind.
Former LeBron teammate James was injured when he discovered his decision to leave Cleveland
Jamario Moon was a teammate with James in the Cavaliers. Moon was known for his jumping skills, and he had the opportunity to play with one of the best players in NBA history. In an appearance on the Scoop B. Podcast, Moon spoke about his reaction to seeing James’ decision.
“It was like a long funeral brother. It was like everything: I mean it, it was like the air was sucked in by everyone like, ‘Man, I can’t believe this.’ But I think the fans … were hurt. Like they were, like, LeBron was married to them and cheated on them or something, “Moon said. It broke her heart to see him go, like many other people. But James would return to Cleveland and help the team win its first title in franchise history.
