In 2010, ESPN released a rather controversial television special about LeBron James’s departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. Criticism poured in.
With more than 13 million viewers tuning in, all eyes were on James. However, as evidenced by a recent statement from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, James made his thoughts on the special clear.
LeBron James Felt ‘Taken Advantage of’
According to Heat Central via X, Windhorst reflected on ESPN’s 2010 special and touched on James’s perception of the experience. He noted James’s annoyance during that period.
“The Heat did not like us there,” Windhorst stated. “LeBron was in a bad mood about ESPN. He thought ESPN had turned its back on him and taken advantage of him in the wake of the decision. He was annoyed by all the coverage, and looking back on it, it was annoying.”
“We were all learning. LeBron was learning about what it took to be with the Heat. We at ESPN were learning about how to cover this type of unfolding story,” Windhorst continued.
LeBron James felt like ESPN took advantage of him in 2010 when he decided to join the Heat, per @WindhorstESPN
“The Heat did not like us there. LeBron was in a bad mood about ESPN. He thought ESPN had turned his back on him and taken advantage of him in the wake of the… pic.twitter.com/74GVOpPyO4
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) June 27, 2026
“And the funny thing about it is that there was just this great build-up of, not animosity, that’s too strong, but this build-up, this ice that built up between the Heat and ESPN.”
During James’s 2009–10 campaign, his final season with the Cavaliers, he averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game while shooting 50.3% from the floor.
In James’s early career, he spent seven successful years with Cleveland, excluding his eventual return to the franchise.
On July 10, 2010, the Cavaliers and the Heat agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to acquire James and the rights to five future draft picks.
James returned to Cleveland for four more seasons before signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2018. He has remained with the Lakers since.
Overall, through his 23 years in the NBA, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. This past season, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, shooting 51.5% from the floor.
The groundbreaking move to the Heat back in 2010 undeniably shook the NBA to its core, but he’s since become one of the league’s primary faces.
While he’s unlikely to have fond memories of the ESPN special amid the chaos, that year made basketball history and will forever go down as a moment never to be forgotten in the NBA.
James’s professional future looks unclear at this time, but another massive decision could be right around the corner.
