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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- In a made-for-TV event, LeBron shares an awkward goodbye
Posted Jul 9 2010 2:11AM
GREENWICH, Conn. -- If it's a book or an article and you want to find the deeper meaning within, the subtext behind the words, you read between the lines. If it's live television, with its cameras, red lights and "30 seconds -- quiet on the set!" commands, you focus on those moments of truth that peek out during commercial breaks. When the cameras blink.
That was when the relentless cynicism of what LeBron James had just announced, and how he was going about it, revealed itself in full.
Dozens of kids were seated just -- so on two sets of metal bleachers, positioned as backdrop for James' multi-million dollar announcement Thursday that he would spend his next five NBA seasons with the Miami Heat. The "studio" was, in fact, the gymnasium of the Boys & Girls Club in this upscale community 30 miles north of New York City. Back in Cleveland, where James spent his first seven seasons as the sort of hometown hero (he's from Akron) professional sports rarely see, he and his youngest fans would have filled such a room with warmth and love.
Here, the kids were props, LeBron fans for a night thanks to his odd selection of their club as his platform. Given strict instructions to hush during the important yakking between the suddenly former Cavaliers star and handpicked interviewer Jim Gray, the Greenwich kids looked to be having as much fun as Joan Crawford's offspring at Thanksgiving dinner.
They had to sit quietly when the cameras rolled. And when the cameras were off, they got to watch James sit quietly. Seriously. Awkwardly. Grimly.
Here he had just announced the decision that was going to define him and his dream for seasons to come, a dream that he had seeded and nurtured since the last time he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh signed their synchronized contracts, and James looked glum. He took a swig of Vitaminwater, the product so strategically placed during James' and ESPN's co-production, "The Decision." He fidgeted with his ear piece. He stared around and through Gray.
![[FULL] LeBron James' 'The Decision' (7/8/2010) | ESPN Archives](/img/n.gif)
That's how I made my announcement to where I'm going to college lol
me too bruh
How's college in Miami
the only way.
Yea you look like a major duechbag
This is what I say when they ask me why I left this job for another job.
Yukungsenor kfr you win
this was so funny they managed to drag this 5 second interview out forever. You're going to south beach? yes. That was the conclusion you woke up with this morning? yes. Are you sure? yes. Are you positive? yes. Who helped you make the decision. it was like AAAHHHH its over he said yes he's going to Miami. Let's move on lol
fax
Messi joining Inter Miami
And this is where his legacy truly took off.
probably THE BEST sports quote ever!!
Yeah from Kobe.....Sorry kid lol
You could tell immediately what he had done by the gasps and silence from the people in the gym.
hell yeah i feel like lebron
Mbappe soon doing the same video
Only 21 seconds and look how this changed basketball world.
lebron traveled
Most infamous 21 seconds in sports history...
best decision he ever made, go south beach
Most of these comments have not aged well
Kobe: "I'm taking my talents to the NBA"
At 17 years of age he held a press conference and did the exact same thing.
now takes your talents to the fourth quarter
Good one 🤣
Go Heat !
oh man this is gon' be tough...im gonna take my talents to souf beach and join the miami heat...
miami heat is gonna be unstoppable cuz now they have wade, bosh, and james i cant wait for the season to start (the heat are going all the way)
paul pierce took his talents to south beach too, and left with a win.
Talents
He looks like he's signing up for social security
i don't know about lebron but the mavericks took their talents to south beach
0:09 nobody
Me right now:
He walked off the court in that game, his final home game as a Cavalier, "to a smattering of boos and rows of empty seats" If this was goodbye Cleveland, it wasn't the send-off he imagined. This was before this decision, y'all did the man wrong as hell, the man had a sprained elbow in that playoff game. He gave y'all 7 good seasons and that last season 61 wins, and yet no love. Welcome to your new home Your Highness, thanks for the hate Cleveland
what a comeback..
"This fall im going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat"
@screwedNch0pped and the lebron didn't have a good team?ou missed my point completely. i was saying that he is arrogant to say that he'll win multiple championship when he's in his 9th year now without one
The dicision show forced the cavs to get Kyrie and TT.
SOMEONE TELL LEBRON THE HEAT DONT PLAY ON SOUTH BEACH! THEY PLAY ACROSS THE WATER AT BAYFRONT
@MrSavageVideos r u 12 yrs old?
Why does LeBron never answer his phone?
Because it only rings ONCE.
Sid 3
@peteymandem when james was in cavs he was the only good 1 and he still took them to the finals all by him self..last year and the year before lebron got the cavs the best record in the nba by him self..what else u want him to do and now yeah it sounds weird but they need a better suppoting cast cuz it takes a team to win not just 1 or 3....when kobe and shaq lost in the finals they had a good supporting cast but they still lost..it happends to every team and it sucks that when the heat lose
@emillio97 yeah..hows that "Unstoppable" thing working out for ya?
3 rings
@peteymandem ok now we on a jordan topic lol ok...well yeah the reason why the bulls won 6 times was cuz of jordan but he didnt win it alone...he had pippen (1 of the 50 gratest player of all time) horrance grant and dennis rodman and other great bench players...but a few years (cant say which) they keeped lossing in the playoffs in the 2nd and CF and jordan was mad cuz they werent playing well so the next year his players got better thats when they won (3-peat) so like i said it takes a team
Well he got a ring out of it.. but i don't see how anybody from Cleveland could like or respect this man
Oh I could see why.
bet you can see now
@peteymandem yeah i get what u saying they should have won but dallas is a good team they are well built all around..yeah lebron has wade and bosh but they have no help around them they can only score so much..when lebron passes the ball to chalmers or bibby he expects them to make it since they wide open and when they dont which usually they do it cost the heat not just points but spacing on the floor which makes it alot easier to defend the big 3..dallas has dirk terry j kid and a good bench
Lebron TRAVELED to Miami.
Lebron's Coming home.
why is lebron james phone always on vibrate?
cause he has no Rings
wtfchillson he actually has 3
not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, but 0
go mavs
Lol at all the "Aww"s
IM TAKING MY TALENTS ELSE WHERE.
where's south beach
update your phone buddy, that phone is know known as the durant phone
@jdolaktv a year of obligatory choke or career? i think he has a history of choking already
@mrcrwn exactly im not a heat fan but they call him queen james when they nicknamed him king james
HE DOES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wait didnt Shaq join the Heat too?
Imma takin mah talents to souf beeach.
he should have went to the bulls with derek rose there and he lead them almost to the finals imagine if lebron was on that team
lmao i laugh everytime i watch this
He traveled.
Lebron got the T word from Kobe
@BigSnoop06 Same here, Rose, Boozer, Noah vs Wade, Bron, Bosh
@BigSnoop06 Well the bulls are on a 6 game win streak..ARE WE UNSTOPPA"BULL"?
Check now bruh!
@peteymandem yeah only 2 players but wade and bosh are no pippen bosh isnt a deniss rodman or horance grant...lebron can win multiple championships..he just finished his 8 year he is still in his prime..look at kobe this was his 15? and he won back to back....lerbon still has 7 years in his prime im pretty sure he can win atleast 2 or 3
Cleveland got OWNED!!
LAKERS WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP!
Translation: I don't have the stones to compete so I'm going to team up with two other Eastern Conference All Stars so we can win the conference year after year.
@screwedNch0pped but he wasn't by himself, he had superstars with him.
@screwedNch0pped yeah but thats not the point he's failed this many times to get one, he can't guarantee multiple titles
7 am waking up in the morning
taking my talents to south beach
gotta play with 2 all stars
seeing everyone, they all hateeee me
crying and crying i dont have that ring;[
just doesnt go in
-Rebecca Black
@screwedNch0pped i get what you're saying. don't get me wrong dallas deserved to win (i'm a mavs fan) and i know he's a god even great player but no-one can guarantee multiple championships unless your last name is jordon
"mannn i turned gay"
if you watch carefully you'll see that he actually travels
That's how I'm gonna announce to my girlfriend that I'm breaking up with her
@BockClock HATING CLEVELAND MUCH?
I'm take my talents to south beach just say Miami LBJ
Кто от проникса?
ouchhhhhhhh one ring
oh really?
he has a RING not rings so yea
@mightyduckz21 1st of all he said 1 time that he dont like ohio only akron and 2nd to me da cavs org. didnt care much for him..they tought "he`s the best player in the world he will bring us a championship" and as good as he is no 1 can win and ring by them selves and every players goal is to win a ring so how can u blame lebron for leaving..cuz if he had stayed with cavs he would have never won a ring then people will say "he wasent good enuff to win a ring" like idots that dont know shit
alot of Cleveland Fans i see lmao
Souf beach
Not 1 not 2 not 3 not 4 not 5 but ZERO
@mysticous23 no he should of picked the bulls
От проникса
yeah right bulls suck. Rose isn't better than Wade or Bosh.
that joke cant be used no more LMAO
too bad kobe and jordan don't pick up on the first ring lol
@Defender78 .....Miami
Im takin my talents to south beach lol
@harrisonisawesome the mavs are taking their talents up the ass right now we so good we're 13-14 wooooooo heat are 21-5
imma take mah talents to souf beech.
lmao he traveled.
Cleveland Cavaliers forever!
...well, except 2010 to 2014.
Bandwagon
irony is a bitch
worst decision of his life
BOOOOOOOOO! He'd have 2 if he'd have stayed! LeBron's Cavs were better than those Mavs and OKC! BOOOOOOO!
1 ring in CLE > 50 in MIA
Mike Scott you still stand by your statement?
What talent?
What a hater. lol
Smh
Kevin Howard damn straight
Talent you don’t have
Lolol @ the heat
Кто от проникса 😂
+
i always thought lebron was already in miami heat. my friends told be he wasnt but i always thought he was. lol maybe i saw the future because i swear i knew for a fact lebron was already in heat
lmao
datniccaweems yea and he gonna leave again lmao
Far from it.
@babyblovee24 talents of only performing in three quarters but not four...