Mary High School. There's always – you know, a race factor". In the short documentary, released via social media, the French striker brought an end to rumours surrounding a potential transfer to Barcelona by … The Cavaliers finished their 2010–11 season with a 19–63 record, including a then-NBA record 26-game losing streak. 1 Pick and a Rebuilding Boost", "Forever Changes: NBA Free Agency After LeBron", "Cavaliers end over 50 years of Cleveland sports heartbreak with first NBA championship", LeBron James' 'The Decision' hardly represents legacy a decade later - USATODAY.com, ESPN documentary to explore LeBron James' "Decision" — The Denver Post, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Decision_(TV_program)&oldid=983188761, National Basketball Association on television, National Basketball Association controversies, Articles with dead external links from March 2012, Wikipedia pending changes protected pages, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 October 2020, at 19:33. [38] Following The Decision, Forbes listed him as one of the world's most disliked athletes. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern urged ESPN to cancel the show and former ESPN president John Skipper says Stern was concerned the show would extend too much power to one player. [36] Adande, also African American, had a different view, saying James "didn't claim to be a victim of racial persecution" and "caused us to examine the bias that's always lurking". It will eventually be available to stream on ESPN+. [6][15] The show's Nielsen ratings were 6.1 in households, and 4.1 in 18-49, making it the most watched cable show of the night. Van Natta also sheds new light on what fans and media critics have wondered about for 10 years, including what events led to James’ infamous “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach … “ line that he said nearly a half-hour into the show. James became an unrestricted free-agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010. When James announced his return to the Cavaliers for the 2014–15 season in a Sports Illustrated essay on July 11, 2014, he alluded to the controversy surrounding the special, saying "I’m not having a press conference or a party. [34], Although other NBA superteams existed before 2010, the Heat with James was the first that players created. [19] Associated Press wrote that The Decision joined The Move, The Drive, The Shot, and The Fumble in "Cleveland's sports hall of shame". [4][5] Gray's idea was for an hour-long show in which James would announce his decision. Buzz Bissinger, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of two bestselling books on LeBron James. Backstory debuted in August of 2019 with “Serena vs. It was the city's first major professional sports title in 52 years. [23] William Rhoden of The New York Times defended James by stating that Gilbert's "venomous, face-saving personal attack", along with the ensuing "wrath of jersey-burning fans", only validated James’ decision to leave Cleveland. Chris Broussard, NBA Insider for ESPN at the time of. Scott Raab, the author of two books on LeBron James. [11] The show raised an additional $3.5 million from advertisement revenue which was donated to other various charities. After its initial airing, the program will re-air at 11 p.m. on ESPN2 and will be available for on-demand viewing on the ESPN App. ESPN to air documentary on “The Decision”. [17][18], In Cleveland, fans considered James' departure a betrayal that ranks second to The Move, Art Modell's relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. LeBron’s experience on The Decision was the launching pad for his own shows sold to multiple networks and helped him sharpen his voice on a wide array of important issues beyond the basketball court.”. [47], "Decade later, LBJ-Melo still goin' strong", "ESPN show confirms The Decision was fan's idea, not LeBron James, "ESPN docuseries reveals new details from LeBron James' 'The Decision' 10 years later", "Was LeBron special ESPN's deal with devil? Scott Raab, the author of two books on LeBron James. I can't say that's a bad thing. [6] NBA commisioner David Stern, believing that ESPN was giving too much control to James, tried to get the event cancelled. [6] The phrase "taking my talents to South Beach" became a punch line for critics. James was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where he received national attention as a high school basketball star at St. Vincent–St. Backstory: The Decision premieres Sunday, June 28, at 9 p.m. The Umpire,” followed in January of this year with “Banned for Life*.” Subjects and airdates for additional episodes of Backstory will be announced later. [12] Riley sold to James that "LeBron would be Magic Johnson, Dwyane Wade would be Kobe Bryant, Chris would be Kevin Garnett". [44] Their 2011 first overall pick, Kyrie Irving, was named the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year, and was also the MVP of both the All-Star Game and the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014. [31] Johnson echoed Jordan's sentiments on teaming with rivals. [26] J. It was broadcast live on ESPN on July 8, 2010. The Decision LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009 Production Production locationGreenwich, Connecticut, U.S. Running time75 minutes Release Original networkESPN Original releaseJuly 8, 2010 The Decision was a television special in which National Basketball Association player LeBron James announced that he would be signing with the Miami Heat instead of returning to his … [10] Broadcast from the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, the show raised $2.5 million for the charity. Relieved of the burden of scoring, James thought he could be the first player to average a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson. ", "LeBron James, 'The Decision' and a decade of hindsight: ESPN docuseries reveals new details on LeBron's legacy-impacting night", "The King of South Beach: LeBron James will Sign with Miami Heat", "LeBron James makes his pick: He's going to Miami", "LeBron James' 'Decision' generated $6 million in ad revenue", "The Plot Starts Here ... Showtime Starts Here", "Miami Heat's Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra react to signings", "Inside look at LeBron's free-agent coup", "Nearly 10 Million U.S. Viewers Watch LeBron's 'Decision, "Thursday Cable Ratings: All LeBron, All The Time; Plus Bethenny Up, Futurama Settles & More", "LeBron's decisive backlash tops all stories", "For Miami Heat, High Hopes but Lower Volume", "Cleveland Plain Dealer's final word on LeBron James", "Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert", "Cavs owner's letter mocked for Comic Sans font", "Fathead suggests LeBron is the new Benedict Arnold", "Cleveland's Venom Validates James's Exit", "Rev. There will also be multiple re-airs on ESPN networks. [39] James relented about the TV special before the 2011–12 season: "if the shoe was on the other foot and I was a fan, and I was very passionate about one player, and he decided to leave, I would be upset too about the way he handled it. [34][35] When an earlier racial controversy over his cover on Vogue became a national debate, James had no comment. “And despite all the criticism that LeBron James and ESPN received, the one-hour show had a far-reaching impact on LeBron and his inner circle while beginning a trend of star athletes telling their own stories through their own media and production companies. A documentary will air this Sunday night about LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010 and the TV fiasco that came with it. [32], On September 29, 2010, when asked by Soledad O'Brien of CNN if race was a factor in the fallout from The Decision, James said, "I think so, at times.