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"James didn't seem to agree" - LeBron was told that airing "The Decision" to leave Cavs live on TV was a bad idea


"James didn't seem to agree" - LeBron was told that airing "The Decision" to leave Cavs live on TV was a bad idea originally appeared on Basketball Network.

LeBron James got fans divided when he stunned the NBA community with "The De cision" in 2010. According to the juicy article written by Adrian Wojnarowski at the time, the backlash James endured from it could've been prevented had he just taken his friends' advice.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers faithful were understandably already angered by James' determination to leave for the Miami Heat. That being said, LeBron's childhood friends in Akron told him that doing it live on national TV would just add insult to injury.

Woj revealed that despite hearing about the possible consequences, James didn't seem bothered at all. He was very confident that the Cavs fans' love for him would still prevail after all.

"Back in Akron, James still wanted to go through his live hourlong television show on July 8 to announce his decision," Wojnar owski wrote. "This had been Maverick Carter's big idea, his production, and still, people around him worried about the fallout in Cleveland. Several friends told James this was a bad idea to do to his hometown, that leaving the Cavaliers live on national television would make this a public-relations disaster for him."

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"James didn't seem to agree, didn't think it made a difference. Mad was mad, he thought. He would take a beating, but it would subside and people would love him again in Cleveland. The TV event had delivered hope to the Cavaliers that they would keep James because they never believed he would go on air and open himself to such a visceral reaction," he said. "Better than anyone, they knew LeBron James could sometimes be so unaware of the world outside his own needs, his own yes men."

LeBron has left the Cavs long before "The Decision"

Wojnarowski also gave fans a glimpse of how the Cavs front office reacted to James' live announcement of his exit. Apparently, the Cavaliers were still hoping that Bron would stay, even though he has already met with an array of teams.

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Just before LeBron prepared for his on-air surprise, the management finally got word that their franchise player was indeed joining the Heat. Understandably, the news still caught everyone in the organization off guard.

When "The Decision" finally aired, Woj said everything finally made sense for the Cavs. They realized that it was bound to happen all along.

"The telephone call to the Cleveland Cavaliers came minutes before the 9 p.m. show, and somehow the news still shocked them," Woj described. "LeBron James was leaving, and the truth finally washed over owner Dan Gilbert and his front office: James had been gone a long time. They just never wanted to believe it."

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Related: "I needed something to calm me down" - Richard Dumas admits he used to drink a six pack of beers before every game

LeBron returned and kept his promise

James played four seasons with the Heat and won two NBA championships in the process. In 2014, LeBron rekindled his relationship with the Cavs and made an epic return to Cleveland.

At that point, James proved to everybody that he was right. The Cavs and their faithful would move on from "The Decision" and welcome him back like a prodigal son coming home to his family, where he truly belongs.

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In his return, James led the Cavs to a historic four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. He won one for Cleveland in 2016, just as he promised.

In 2018, Bron left the city once again, but given what happened in the past, it wouldn't be surprising if James makes another return to Cleveland in the near future. This time for good.

Related: Former NBA player Mario Kasun called Kevin Garnett "the biggest racist against white players"

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

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