LeBron James joined the Miami Heat on July 10th 2010 in a move that was criticized by many
When did Lebron James go to Miami? This a question that all Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat fans would be able to answer. LeBron James officially announced that he would be joining the Miami Heat on July 8th 2010. He made the announcement in a live ESPN Special titled “The Decision”. The Cavaliers and the Heat made a sign-and-trade deal official on 10th July 2010.
Fans, critics and former NBA players called LeBron James out and criticized him for the move. Angry Cleveland Cavaliers fans went as far as recording themselves burning LeBron’s jerseys.
NBA legends such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson criticized LeBron for joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They felt that LeBron was taking the easy way out for the purpose of winning a title.
In a few days, LeBron James went from a once-beloved athlete to possibly the most hated person in the world. Opposing fans and the media treated the Miami Heat and LeBron James with widespread negativity whenever possible. People were rather unhappy given the nature of “The Decision” and LeBron’s handling of his Free Agency.
Yes, LeBron James made 4 consecutive NBA Finals with the Miami Heat and won 2 championships with the team. LeBron won back-to-back championships in the 2012 and 2013 playoffs. These two NBA championships completely changed LeBron’s legacy as a player.
LeBron went from a player who leads teams in the regular season to a player who lead a championship team. This was a rather big change to his legacy in a surprisingly short period of time.
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