The Truth Behind LeBron's Decision To Leave Cleveland In 2010

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LeBron James' decision to leave Cleveland in 2010 was arguably the most polarizing free agency decision in NBA history. In this video, we take a look back at everything that led up to that event.
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► Twitter: @AndyHoopsYT
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► Sources:
Stats and box-scores from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com, Statmuse.com, PBPstats.com
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[@AtlasAdvice254]

What kills me is how some fan bases expect loyalty from talents like this but won’t hold the organization’s accountable for when they fail to do their job.

[@joshwarrey3728]

it's rooted on hating the employee instead of criticizing management

[@DJThrillerKN]

Fr cause I think the opposite. Our favorite teams are organizations. The players don’t own the team. It’s up the Organization to keep the best they got and built around it. Some people don’t get that

[@jimbobfisher8904]

Yup unlike the thunder with KD smh that dude had everybody he could need and then some and still left #coward

[@muzammilak4760]

@@DJThrillerKN fr

[@jermainelaw1077]

@@jimbobfisher8904 idk about that one. The thunder went 6 years starting shooting guards who couldn't shoot and centers who couldn't score. It was really on him and russ. That cheap organization dropped the ball

[@kl2389]

During the 2009-2010 trade deadline they have a chance to acquire Amare Stoudemire but Cavs rejected the trade because the Suns want JJ Hickson in return and the Cavs management believes he will be a star. This pissed LeBron as well.

[@vincetaliaferro2777]

Thanks for the info.

[@mattmmixes]

JJ hickson walked so THT can run

[@beehexistired]

Hey... a healthy Amar'e Stoudemire with Prime LeBron in Cleveland would have been actually real scary lol. He was willing them to a 60 win by himself and he had them competing against eventual ECF winners like 09 Magic and 10 Celtics...

[@tj5180]

Why were the suns trying to trade amare? Were they in a rebuild mode

[@williefaulker]

@@tj5180 well like LeBron he was a free agent that next year, and iirc either they didn't think he was going to resign or it was something with his injury to his eye that phoenix didn't trust him long term

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

This video not only shows the incompetence of the Cavs organization during LeBron’s tenure, but also the difficulties of recruiting free agents to small markets.

[@jaguareagle7026]

Memphis, Utah, and Knicks are struggling to get superstars in modern age it really sucks for small market teams. Yes I put Knicks there to piss them off. Mfs couldn’t get KD and Kyrie

[@marvensabang9592]

My denver too 💔

[@richborn6700]

This is what killed KG and my Wolves for years and years

[@dbabu51]

They had Lebron lmao it’s just that nobody wanted to come there because it’s a bad org. If a small market is a good franchise then players go

[@MNSportsJunkie101]

Those same small market teams may also pay larger than normal contracts for guys who are good but not superstar level or make massive trades that other teams wouldn't make, and that's if they can build a strong core through the draft. If they do get superstars they have to handicap themselves financially just to keep them.

[@RudieObias]

As a Cavs fan since 1986, I only really remember winning the NBA Finals in 2016. All of the other stuff was just preamble to winning a championship. LeBron James still remains the greatest player in Cavs history. The greatest draft pick in Cavs history. And the greatest free agent signing in Cavs history.

[@Dave2one6]

And beat the best team ever. So who really the best team.

[@hotpot328]

And is the best player ever

[@BobBob-cx9wm]

​@@hotpot328MJ > LeBron

[@AirRusher1992]

Ah yeah "The Decision" with some untold stories and truth behind it. In general, the blame for why this happen should be pointed at Dan Gilbert for not trying hard to surround LeBron the legit help he needed.

[@donaldli4755]

Dude has a way too big ego so the franchise lost 121 million in value overnight. Stupidity at its finest.

[@McBigP13]

Facts. All he had to do was bring in some quality players like Miami heat did for him which he got two championships out of it. Look what happened the second time he was in Cleveland with help, got great players beside him to win

[@robbiecomo5953]

true leaders can lead with anyone behind them. hes not a true leader hes a team jumper and leave a mess behind him

[@stevvejobss]

@@robbiecomo5953y’all just be sayin stuff like this as if nba players are war generals lol, you need good coaching and personnel to win an nba championship not just one superstar come on now lol

[@milo6011]

@@robbiecomo5953 u sound dum jordan for before Krause drafted hired the greatest coach of all time drafted scottie the zen master developed scottie and sign on tons of other help like the best euro player in the world at the time top 5 3p shooter eventually a couple pistons who jordan hated and cry about to the media and daddy stern for years greatest rebounder of all time grant and more he didn’t lead them to anything he was getting swept in the first rd and making the playoffs with below .500 teams some times far below .500 Kobe post shaq never beat the suns in a regular season series or playoff series again until he got gasol and others they missed the playoffs years straight in his prime he blew a 3-1 lead to the suns when he did finally make the playoffs again after shaq and quit in a game 7 so much for a leader stop with the bullshit u never seen a player take a shit roster like Lebron and give the a regular season record and playoff runs of a contender when they absolutely had no business winning 60 games or even 55+ making ecf or making the finals at some point u gotta wake up and smell the folgers

[@im_rising_down1233]

It still shocking how CAV fans turned on LeBron the first time he left regardless of how he handled the situation. LeBron was and will always be the embodiment of Cleveland itself. Not to mention they ruined some of his prime years.

[@tj5180]

Cavs fans should be grateful about bron taking them to their 1st championship and making the franchise revelant when before the cavs were a horrible franchise and couldn’t get past the bulls and going through bad luck especially in the draft

[@donaldli4755]

Check out the smirking idiot on the bottom left. Pathetic 7:57

[@Marlowe10100]

This happens to a lot of stars, not only Lebron. And they he handle it was very poor.

[@dspsblyuth]

Shitty?

[@somregularguy]

@@tj5180now Cavs fans will tell you they Love Kyrie and LeBron, even tho Kyrie left he was the 2nd most important piece to that championship and a lot of their finals runs

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

I have a feeling that while many fans hated LeBron’s decision to leave, they hated The Decision TV special (which was originally proposed by ESPN) even more.

[@FAlynn92]

Agreed. I still remember those days. Even as a Bulls fan who thought it was funny when he left the Cavs, I was on their side because how he went about it.

[@jetfan925]

Also funnily enough, Donovan Mitchell was in that special in person.

[@devontebroom6800]

@@jetfan925Facts 😂

[@williefaulker]

LeBron himself came out years later and admitted he wish he didn't do it .

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

@@jetfan925 Wait? Where was he in that crowd?

[@marcstein2510]

In my opinion kd joining the 73-9 warriors was way worse. Ever since then i hope kd will never win any more rings

[@jimbobfisher8904]

Exactly

[@qbrees30339]

LeBron left the #1 team and KD joined the #1 team and both reasons are for the same exact cause and that's to win a championship. If u ask me KD did it better and y'all hate how it interfered with LeBrons legacy 🤷🏿‍♂️ So I disagree it being worse KD just did it better 🤷🏿‍♂️ Not to mention if KD didn't get hurt the Warriors would have 3peated. Meanwhile Bron barely got two out of the Miami move. KD won his in convincing fashion and where LeBrons left me convinced me they shouldn't have won against SA🤷🏿‍♂️😂

[@johkupohkuxd1697]

Man, Dan Gilbert is just pure cringe. Such audacity to call a player a "quitter", when its dubious whether he has himself ever even touched a basketball.

[@tj5180]

Does he still have the job as a owner or he retired

[@FadeHook23]

@@tj5180 he’s still the owner of the Cavs organization

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

He was Right. LeBronze has proven that over his career. He always Quits when things get Tough. LeBronze a Coward and a Quitter

[@jiffismm]

@@chrisschaeffer9661cornball😹🫵🌽🌽🌽

[@johncena4096]

It’s funny how Gilbert said that Lebron quit but the cavs quit on Lebron long before by failing to surround him with talent

[@Kamrose24]

I don’t blame lebron for leaving Cleveland because he did carry the load 7 straight years. They just never surrounded lebron with the help he needed , he’s been carrying a team all by hisself with no legitimate help. I didn’t really think he could lead his team to win over 60 games two seasons in a row and still fell short in the playoffs before he left and everyone started hating on him when he left , cav fans Also rooted for Dallas to win the championship in 2011 years later it all change. Kd may have left okc to join golden state but it will never be the same hate that lebron got when he left Cleveland kd jus joined an elite team who did not need him

[@mitchellmartinsky2299]

those teams were like giannis's bucks teams

[@Kamrose24]

@@mitchellmartinsky2299 you got a point there

[@themanwhocantbemovedbyatru1988]

​​​@@mitchellmartinsky2299he difference being is that Milwaukee is actually competent and they're slowly building while Cleveland is just stupid.

[@jrsmith1998]

The only people who talk crap about Lebron leaving are idiots who don’t know basketball.

[@Kamrose24]

@@jrsmith1998 exactly

[@jasonbecke]

Durant made him look a lot better now. Imagine him going to Boston and joining them to win

[@eduardoquintero8363]

That's right. That would have made it similar to KD's move which in my opinion looked worse

[@X02Overdose]

While it wasn’t as bad as Durant’s move, he still created a superteam lmao

[@jasonbecke]

@@X02Overdose yeah but winning forming your own team is much better then joining an already established great team. It’s like if Durant had won with Kyrie and Harden in Brooklyn. Yes it’s a super team but it would look much better then winning in golden state

[@nightlybob]

@X02Overdose no he didn't. Super teams have existed since 80s. I.e. bird/McHale/parish, maic/kaj/worthy , etc...

[@milo6011]

@@X02Overdose and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with creating a super team nobody gets mad when gms and owners do it nobody said Shit about the bulls dominating the 90s with all they signings even recruiting pistons hof and John sally when jordan hated the pistons and cried to stern and the media about them for years nobody said anything about the stacced lakers and Celtics of the 80’s or bills stacced Celtics when he won 11, 8 straight then another 3 peat nobody said anything about shaq and Kobe lakers when they played my pistons with no all time top 75 players while they had 4 along with Rick fox derrick fisher and Horace grant (side not were the only team ever to accomplish winning a chip with no top 75 and we did it against 4) hell even recent times a lot of people give a pass and even praise to Stephen curry and golden state for recruiting KD as if they weren’t conference rivals and talking shit bac in forth in press conferences while playing against each other as if they both aren’t too 20-15 all time greatest players and they teamed up combining for 3 mvps to stacc the decc with 4 All nba team selections 4 perineal allstars a dpoy another finals mvp in iggy who also is a 6th man of the year level player former allstar another top 10 arguably top 5 shooter of all time klay who was also the best 2 way guard in basketball at that point Super teams been a thing and nobody gave a shit when it was jordan turn Kobe turn shaq turn steph KD magic kareem bill ect but when it was Bron turn the whole world had a problem and the real problem is not that he had teammates he could win with the real problem was him actually winning him actually living up to the hype and winning championships makes other guys feel threatened that players they know aren’t better than Lebron but they are a fan of legacy can be questioned or threatened by lebrons legacy if he started winning multiple chips as he’s had that’s why no matter what so many people gonna cling to jordan cuz he’s the only thing y’all got left to say see lebrons a failure he ain’t better than jordan cuz he surpassed everyone else and all the expectations a long time ago

[@DKtrek21]

To be fair, before the era of supermax contracts, no star would be willing to be traded in small market teams. It was tough for small teams to acquire superstars back when the DVPE deal was not implemented. Basically, the NBA helped small market teams with the addition of that contract rule.

[@johelectrix7927]

If the Cavs tried to get Michael Redd an Ohio native and Lebron loved it because he needed an all star support Lebron probably wouldn't leave Cleveland in 2010

[@JulianPratt45]

lebron never quit on the cavs bron did everything for the cavs to make sure thay made it to the nba finals the whole cavs team quit on him. if dan gilbert would have done what he was supposed to do the cavs would have won the eastern conference finals and the nba finals in 2003

[@zachd6011]

LeBron had every right to leave. Poor management wasted his time there. If he could lead the squad to the finals in 2007, Imagine if they just found that one other star or free agent.

[@KingTaylor-pl2el]

Cleveland was stacked when Shaq came..bron kept choking in PLAYOFFS

[@DrKing-kv1hb]

Your smoking hard

[@Kamrose24]

Facts

[@yujuandouglas7891]

Cleveland didn't help him he wanted a ring nobody wants to be Charles Berkeley

[@PainfullyCasual]

1 year or so later, those same cavs fans begged Bron to comeback because of the pitiful state of the team despite Kyrie balling out.

[@滋榎本]

It was very sad when LeBron left the Cavs for the Heat. Still, I was happy when I won the championship ring with the Cavs in 2016.

[@brucelau2023]

Ah yeah "The Decision" with some untold stories and truth behind it. In general, the blame for why this happen should be pointed at Dan Gilbert , and also the Cavaliers organization should be blamed a lot too because they didn't give LeBron the help they needed but yeah that was a hectic time back in 2010

[@Aldiethegreat]

I was there when the news broke that Chris Bosh will be joining the Heat. I've been a heat fan since 06 and i didn't see it coming. I was shocked and happy at the same time

[@jamesburgess2k]

If the Cavs didn't let LeBron have a much bigger role in picking who his teammates would be, then I can't fault LeBron for not caring about giving them the heads up on his decision. They treated him just like any average player instead of a star, so he made his own decision to leave... just like any average player would.

[@extragoogleaccount6061]

LeBron as GM doesn't work the best either though....

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

5:20 Cavs COULD have had prime Stoutimire but didn't want to trade away JJ Hickson lmao SMH Instead signed 38 year old Shaq

[@noahcorneliustv]

I was just reading about Cavs Shaq this morning! Holy cow, cannot believe you dropped this!

[@natank5398]

bro i wanted tell you that i had been watching your videos for a while , your are doing a great job and your are my favorite youtuber .

[@DaemonPix]

I remember the hate he received in 2010 for his decision to leave. I can't say I blame him as zero stars were wanting to sign to play in that city. Its not just the Cavs, as the Guardians and Browns have trouble attracting top tier talent. I think the TV special on ESPN could have been handled differently, but it was fun to witness live. The best part was the Cavs fanbase showing who they really were by banning his jerseys and threatening his family. Some people take their sporting teams way too seriously.

[@seriouslystewarts3537]

Finally a honest analysis on what happened …Great Job 💯

[@lamchunting856]

Now do one for why Durant wanted out of OKC

[@tredaytheplaymaker1579]

Or PG Wit Indiana

[@l_n9684]

@@tredaytheplaymaker1579 PG was traded

[@markjackson6431]

it’s easy…..you can’t win with Russell Westbrick

[@jairwest5]

We understand why he left. It’s the team he chose to play for that he gets hate for.

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

Or why Shaq signed with the Lakers over Magic

[@barbarasmith9829]

Gilbert should have held himself accountable as he didn't want to spend the funds to build a winnable team. Gilbert was the one who failed the city of Cleveland. They both learned a valuable lesson.

[@miamimarlin1932]

Here’s the reality about Lebron playing and coming back to Cleveland that gonna sound harsh but accurate, Lebron never needed these players but they needed Lebron.

[@ryanwilliams3211]

Exactly! I can't fully blame Lebron James for wanting to leave though out the years he was literally carrying no only a team but the entire city to relevant's and once he left for a better team that the gravy train is gone now it okay to trash talk the player that made the team popular in the first place.

[@MrBuliths]

There is NO LOYALTY in the NBA.. especially with teams.. then they(the team and its fans) get mad when player asked to leave or straight leave?.. why? Think why did James leave Cleveland? Who could have fixed that situation so he didn't? Also how long was he there? Did he get legit help? Okay Players WANT to Win rings. He tried it Organization wise.. Didnt work. Then they all saw how Boston did I.T. after he played thru different very important situations or events in his life and they got rid of him.. the players saw that and decided its time they make the choices players from back in the day WISH they could've done.

[@SirSavage-]

Lebron didn’t owe the Cavs a warning at all , just like when players get traded without warning “it just business” is what they say

[@yujuandouglas7891]

LeBron was the only person on them teams they were Triple-T him and nobody would even get the rebound

[@christopherhook2141]

I remember when this happened; I had just started high school, and most of my classmates were making fun of LeBron for being a quitter in Cleaveland. Not that I blame LeBron for wanting to leave; the organization wasn't trying that hard anyway. Time flies fast.

[@otepdotnet]

the best player that they paired with lebron is mo williams 😅…and they got very old shaq, joe smith, antawn jamison and ben wallace

[@mitchellmartinsky2299]

those guys aren't scrubs

[@richborn6700]

@@mitchellmartinsky2299 they were by the time they got to Cleveland. It wasn't 2000 Shaq or 2003 Ben Wallace

[@mitchellmartinsky2299]

@@richborn6700 they could still play

[@pudge9845]

​@@mitchellmartinsky2299 not scrubs they are washed When Cleveland aquired them

[@mitchellmartinsky2299]

@@pudge9845 Williams and jamison averaged 16 points a game for them in 2010. Shaq averaged 12 points a game and sebastian telfair averaged 10 points a game.

[@ianmarkooo]

This was happening to Luka right now. As a Luka fan. We want Luka out of the organization that doesn't want to win a championship. Luka was generational talent and we don't want to waste it.

[@jayr1404]

LBJ left coz he doesn't want to waste his prime years in a crappy team like Melo did in Denver. He made a wise decision.

[@Tim_Dunkin]

Be mature f*** that!!! He was. You take any 100 men & have them deal with the personal 💩 that was going on 90 of them are doing far worse than not talking to ppl they don't have to in the first place. It always astounds me where in a legues where teams let players find out they were traded on an ESPN ticker we expect a FREE AGENT to give everyone the "courtesy" of letting them know they plan on leaving. Loyalty doesn't mean you put up w/ BS & I'm talking that low down grimey BS. They tried to hide things from him that would have an effect on anybody & he found out bc they couldn't even keep secrets the right way in CLE let alone build a roster. It was to the point that opponents weren't talking trash about the game, they were talking trash about off the court stuff that was leaked by the Cavs of all ppl. Every situation can't be framed in the same way when they leave in FA. KD situation wasn't LBJs & vice versa

[@joestack1222]

Joakim Noah said it best who tf wants to live in cleveland

[@danielvasquez3758]

Thanks Andy for another great video!! Always pulling out gems no one knew about beforehand!!

[@John仰望十架的栋栋]

2023 ppl still use the Decision and related terms like coward or traitor to insult LBJ. These ppl r really mean.

[@casualopal9237]

Can you do "What will the tanking teams will look like when they get Wembanyama?"

[@TheAoalec14]

As a bills fan this is what worries me the most about josh Allen. The inability to provide him with any semblance of a running game and a bad pass protection could make him want out one day to chase a ring. Like early lebron Allen is basically 95% of his teams offense right now

[@BoatsNhoes824]

Can’t even compare the two, Josh Allen is great don’t get me wrong but he’s no lebron of the nfl…

[@TheAoalec14]

@@BoatsNhoes824 ?? How so he’s prolly the most athletically gifted QB of all time right now strong arm can run the ball and his ability to stiff arm defenders and avoid being sacked..dudes basically a TE playing QB..his only weakness is decision making thus far..u youngins act like lebron didn’t take 7+ years to win his first title and has won championships without HOF and all star talent around him.. athletically for their sports/positions they are very similar but I mean it’s comparing two different sports so opinions will vary..and before u say mahomes he is definitely athletic arm/rush wise and an elite decision/play maker but I’ve never seen him stiff arm DTs jump over LBs or bulldoze CBs

[@MNSportsJunkie101]

LeBron was never wrong in wanting to leave Cleveland, it was the fact that me made such a spectacle out of it and then put together a super team thinking that he could coast to a title that rubbed people the wrong way. Truth be told it's a miracle this story had a happy ending for both LeBron and Cleveland, because it usually doesn't work out this way for other franchises.

[@yahirzavala-nm9ur]

It only worked out because lebron got em a chip and 4 title runs made them somehwT relevant as a competitive team stupid cleavlanders aren’t shit if he didn5 win that chip they’d still hate him to this day

[@KingTaylor-pl2el]

Lebron is wrong for leaving Cleveland he a hoe for that

[@culturalcrowns]

I read so many heartbreak-Cleveland-Ohio articles during that time period that it made me care about that part of that country for a whole week. I felt like I lived in that part of that country.

[@BooBooDaFoo330]

I’m from Akron like Bron and the hatred for Cleveland is real

[@JamesJohnson-ip2by]

I wouldn't have went back to Cleveland at all! Burning my jersey putting my family at risk and management talking shit as well,they would still only have that browns win in the 60s that Jim brown helped win,people like this,is the reason that you don't want to give your all and dedication to because, once you've had enough,they'll show their true colors.

[@acnicodemus4734]

Blame the Dans. Dan Gilbert and Danny Ferry.

[@joewu280]

I mean mj is definitely the goat but lebron is very close to him too. Mike was playing for the team that had better management and better coaching team than bron had when playing for cavs. Mike was super good but his luck was a vital factor to make him become the greatest

[@marlonalatiit1609]

i agree

[@kristianolliviere9045]

Like I said before, if the Cavs got players around lebron james and the owner built a great team, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!!!!!

[@RedForeman]

They will never get another ring again in OUR life time …. That’s a fact

[@aldouscoroza]

LeBron is From Akron, and yes Growing up he hated Cleveland, because on how they (Cleveland) looked down on them (Akron)

[@devontebroom6800]

It’s just an old school rivalry type thing with the state of Ohio, it’s even like that in the Jails in Ohio, Akron Cincinnati Columbus against Cleveland

[@BooBooDaFoo330]

@@devontebroom6800 fuck Cleveland, we never abandoned Bron in Akron.

[@NewEarthSon]

damn time fly this is considered "old" now? This is fresh in my mind that I remember this like yesterday!

[@daneanderson7437]

They were known as The Lebraonoleirs. Real talk. That man was that team. He to them to conference finals all by himself.

[@נועםאלגרנטי]

We all know that if LeBron had teared his ACL in 09, all that "loyalty" the Cavs expected would fly out the window. Just like the Bulls and D Rose or Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics...

[@McGomezAddams]

Anybody would've left that trash organization

[@RiruKrypto_]

How could anyone expect someone to play well when you know your teammate slept with his Mom? That 's any dude's worst nightmare.

[@davidlogan201]

As a teenager at that time, I was more mad that I had to sit in front of tv for an hour 4 him to say he was going to Miami when we all knew he was gonna go there lol

[@teogotdasauce4233]

1 player effected a city’s entire economy off the decision

[@siler22]

Does anyone else think that Lebron stayed too long in LA? After 2021 season he could easly move somewhere,anywhere,possibly Knicks and continue his rivalry with Durant

[@joeblack3623]

I always watch your videos at 1.5x, just to hear you more lively lol

[@danielvasquez3758]

To me, it was only because it was on TV did people get angry about it!! Had he just announce and let the team know ahead of time, it wouldn’t have been that bad!!

[@johncena4096]

He can do what he wants, he didn’t need to say anything. The cavs wouldn’t do shit about surrounding him with talent but he’s supposed to bend over backwards for them? 😂

[@romeomonteverde]

There's no rule saying he can't do what he did. Hey, if teams can just trade players without any heads up or shipping them to toronto (kawhi) even if that wasn't their preferred destination, then players have the right to do this. The only issue with that, and something I agree with you with, is that he made it a spectacle, which shouldn't be

[@williefaulker]

Yeah also a lot of ppl forget LeBron himself admitted the decision was a bit much

[@marlonalatiit1609]

it angered some people (right or wrong, its their feelings anyway)

[@DeoAlong]

Looking back at it now, Cavs was just wasting LBJ's best years.

[@SiGUYE]

This is true.

[@TrahNO2]

I'm so sick of this "help" word. Yes, it helps to have better players on your team in basketball, but it's not like Lebron played with nobodies in Cleveland. Kids make it a joke now, but they actually believe you're entitled to have All-stars on your team if you're a top player. Pathetic

[@geegee2874]

Luka bout to Pull a Lebron soon enough

[@iancruz3450]

HAHAHAHAHA Shhhhh

[@mattmmixes]

Nah I think he’ll stay loyal to Dallas, Dallas has built a championship roster before, just took some time.

[@tj5180]

@@mattmmixes they never did except for 2011. Cuban and the front office did lots of horrible moves in the Nash and dirk era also today with Brunson signing with the knicks. They almost wasted dirk career

[@mattmmixes]

@@tj5180 2011 Mavs are one of the greatest defensive teams of all time they shut down a top 3 player in his prime, I agree tho so many poor moves like letting Tyson Chandler walk, but even one ring would put Luka in the top ten convo at the end of his career with the statistical accomplishments he’s had.

[@theophilusjones6024]

Mini Afro Bron needs to be in 2K man… I’d rather play with the 2010 Cavs then the 07 Cavs tbh 😂🤷🏽‍♂️

[@GARIONN1]

The worst mistake Cavs made during this time was to reject amare - JJ trade

[@akisuansing]

Lebron did everything in his first stint in cleveland. Cleveland fans should know better that griffin and the front office is holding them down. Not lebron. I remember that time the stupidity of anger can led to dumbness of the fans instead of being thankful they despise a man who did everything for them. Its the front office fault that they failed to put a team around lebron to compete. I remember watching lebron from 03 to 10 in cavs it was truly remarkable how he made that franchise relevant it was a one man show. You got players like gooden, bigZ, mo, hughes, wally, gibson, marshall and even joe smith trying really hard to level up their game but i wasnt enough. It was all really a one man team.

[@t-god2439]

This this right here a great video great content

[@Mezukage27]

this is why i roll my eyes whenever i hear a casual talk about "loyalty" Lebron leaving Cleveland the first time is the same as someone leaving the first summer job at mcdonalds. if the place doesnt give you opportunities to grow and succeed. BYE! first time around, Cleveland couldnt attract and add pieces around a young lebron. he would have been Dame Lilard.

[@TherealRikyTann]

Can’t blame Bron for leaving the cavs he didn’t owe them anything. Than went back and won a title for them.

[@ant4613]

Thank you for covering this in an unbiased way. No agenda trying to prop Lebron up or rewrite history, just facts.

[@jaxdakid5598]

idk if there’s a non player that actually makes me upset more than dan gilbert… he even called the cavs a legacy???

[@Chavanun555]

I prefer the interview decision. It really feel like a movie where the good guy turn to the dark side. It was so much fun

[@horvack]

Just a quick suggestion on tense usage in the video commentary: when talking about events that ended in the past, use "had" (past perfect), instead of "has" (present).

[@jamesmacker]

People who are saying it's because of the way the televised it are also the same people who crucified KD for joining the Warriors without any formal announcement lol People will find anything to be triggered to

[@deflandre8286]

Andy, would it be possible to present tragic story of Mookie Blaylock? One of the most unique PG in 90's.

[@ant4613]

One of my fav players of the 90s!

[@romank.5261]

It's silly to blame Bron that he gave up on game 6 vs the Celtics because Simmons plays in that way every game for a long time for good money and no complaints.

[@pjjackson7124]

Cavs literally wasted 8 years of Lebron career and it’s been happening his whole career the reason lebron wants to always play with great players is because he doesn’t want to be the only one busting his ass all the time which has Been happening his whole career

[@VForbes]

“The Decision” Was basically a 24 year old Kid leaving one company for another company like ppl do in the work force every day… that’s how I see it. I honestly don’t get how ppl was upset to the level some ppl were, especially if you weren’t a fan of the Cavs…I can get ppl from Cleveland being sad.

[@romeomonteverde]

Why blame lebron for being immature though and saying both him and Gilbert were immature? Did Lebron disrespect the NBA? Not really. If owners and GMs can basically disrespect players by just trading them wherever, I mean even stars like Kawhi didn't have a say on his trade to Toronto, yeah he got a chip, but he never chose to be there. Respect begets respect and owners never respected players who makes money for them. And an old man vs a 25 year old? Who should be more mature? A 25 year old who was basically the face of the NBA or future of the NBA from a young age? I mean, it's normal for us to think young actors acting out during their teenage years, Britney, Michael Jackson, Justin Beiber, seriously Beiber seemed out of his mind throwing eggs, yet that's normal for us to think these kids are immature because they are in the spotlight. Then why can't we think the same of NBA players? Especially Lebron who from highschool has been in the worldwide spotlight, not show some immaturity? And you're not considering that? Saying both are bad, yet an old gray haired guy being immature seems to be a pass? 🤣

[@williefaulker]

Yeah, looking back now I hate that damn didn't get as much criticism for those comments. I get the LeBron hate at the time ( was one of those ppl ) but there is no room for those comments from

[@thejoeyd9207]

It is hard to recruit to smaller markets. But the good news is your money goes so much farther in Cleveland than the bigger markets. So that’s one up side to being here.

[@harbour08]

The difference between Lebron and MJ is Jerry Krause period

[@alperensengun6832]

Cavs had the 4th best defense in 06-07 and 4 double digit per game scorers

[@SilentMovements305]

And the third best defenseive team in 08-09 season while being second in 3pt shooting percentage

[@mythification11]

check the playoff stats

[@jlrob85]

We all leave jobs when we feel like we are under appreciated and not respected. He gave them 7 years. Still, I personally think he only has one legitimate ring and that’s the Cavs one

[@controversialmann5345]

Yet old heads call Bron weak for it

[@jakehopper930]

Andy! How's going?

[@hecksters423]

This is also a PSA to the Dallas Mavericks. Give Luka some help or he becomes Euro-Lebron.

[@allcap504]

There's no loyalty in the corporate world 😂

[@minjod]

What Andy says: This video is sponsored by Mint mobile What I hear: This video is sponsored by Ryan Reynolds

[@TRAPZAHOLIC]

As a spurs fan the heat made me very upset 😂

[@christopherhook2141]

As a Spurs, I agree with you. I was purple with rage after 2013, and cried tears of joy in 2014.

[@ZockaRocka]

What most wont get is that its pretty hard for a small market team to get another star player. Also, if you are as good as LeBron and never injured, your team has no chance of getting a high draft pick .

[@johngittings281]

Good point. Notice how bad the Warriors were for years, allowing them the draft capital needed to get Curry, Thompson, and Barnes (who eventually became the odd man out when they signed Durant). Green was a second round pick, so I wouldn’t necessarily throw him in this conversation. I remember an early episode of The Last Dance covering Jordan’s second season when he broke his foot and how the Bulls were basically trying to lose so they could get a high draft pick and a sidekick for MJ. However, he came back and was having none of it, so he willed them to that last playoff spot. That basically soured his relationship with the Bulls front office for the rest of his career. It’s truly remarkable how that team dominated the way it did in the 90s despite all the drama and turmoil within the organization.

[@ZockaRocka]

@@johngittings281 Yes the warriors are a good example. Also the spurs when they drafted Duncan. They had a complete team just 1 star player short of making an impact. And yes, the bulls relationship with jordan was something else 😂 such a relationship between player and office would never exist today. They also fired the coach jordan liked 😂 cant make this up. But the front office of the bulls was quite good, they even landed pippen eventhough they had no business in getting such a high draft pick. Well done by the Bulls.

[@johngittings281]

@@ZockaRocka you know sometimes the best working relationships are the ones in which the parties involved don’t have much of personal relationships. Brady and Belichick didn’t necessarily get along. Jordan and Pippen same thing. We all know how Kobe and Shaq were and look what they did. This is not just in sports either. When I worked in the car business, there were a couple guys in the department I worked in who barely had a personal relationship with each other, but they fed off each other perfectly and made the department run like a well oiled machine.

[@ZockaRocka]

@@johngittings281 Well, ive never thought about that. But you may be right :) i guess both relationship types can work if both parties know what they want and how to get it.

[@DoobieKeebler]

The Cleveland fanbase thinking LeBron would not leave, perfectly coincides withvWarriors fans begging Durant not to leave, despite the differences in pretty much everything surrounding their tenures with the respective teams & how they came to the franchises.

[@Disneymagic24]

Everyone always says “ LEBUM EVEN AHD SHAQ ON HIS TEAM”, acting like Shaq was even remotely close to his Miami or laker days

[@mitchellmartinsky2299]

he averaged 12 points a game that year

[@reidb6327]

Great video

[@LeonYuL]

Bron always wanted the best for himself, I don't blame him as a human, but I don't like it either

[@LargeDude2023]

Why I respect dudes like Giannis, Dirk, Zeke, MJ, Doc, Hakeem, etc. Those journeys were incredible. They persevered and didn’t look for easy ways out or someone else to blame.

[@Lee-tj8km]

Stop the bs. They had good players around them FOH

[@SomeKindOfSpy]

Dream had a nasty relationship with front office for years and demanded a trade.

[@sov3cd]

@@Lee-tj8km they never campaigned or threw their team mates under the bus in the media without taking most of the blame themselves. That’s what leaders do. We get stories about how there may have been conflicts between players but that’s well after their era finished

[@LargeDude2023]

@@sov3cd The struggle was real. Most of the kids in this KZbin/ESPN generation only know the path after the foundation was paved by others.

[@sov3cd]

@@LargeDude2023 facts

[@enanebres6481]

Love this content

[@edwardbiglang-awa7313]

Luka current situation

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

I'm a LeBron fan, but remember he admitted him, Wade, and Bosh talked about teaming up during the Olympics. It was just a matter of what city. LeBron tried to convince Wade to play in Cleveland, but he refused. Ao he decided he'd rather leave Cleveland than miss out on playing with his friend

[@mocaxsmush5218]

3min rubbish intro