LeBron James made “The Decision” 10 years ago today

LeBron James made “The Decision” on ESPN exactly 10 years ago. He announced he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat.

Angry Cavs fans burned his jerseys, while fans in Miami rejoiced. The Cavs became the worst team in the NBA and Miami became title favorites. Cleveland’s woeful season without James allowed them to select Kyrie Irving with the first pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.

It was a landmark moment, that shook the NBA. James led the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, winning two of them. After losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals, he decided to return to Cleveland and teamed up with Irving to lead the Cavs to a championship.

With his dream completed, James saw an opportunity to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, and this year has a shot of leading them to an NBA championship. With the NBA restart looming, you are able to shake the game up and make it more interesting by taking advantage of the Paddy Power promotion codes that are on offer right now.

There were talks briefly about retirement, something that James has hinted about. He says that his kids play a huge factor in his final decision.

“I think later on in my 30s. It’s kind of up to my kids, really,” he said, per ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin. “I’ve missed so much of my kids’ tournaments and things of that nature when I’m playing. So, it’s kind of up to them. They’ll let me know when they’re tired of seeing me go away.”

Until then, James has been playing slightly limited minutes but still maintaining his high level of play. He has credited trainers and advances in medical research for helping keep athletes in peak form longer. 

“I think with the science and the research and the ability to have multiple trainers and things of that nature and also guys taking the individual account of their own bodies, guys are able to play into their late 30s and some into their 40s, as you’re seeing today,” he said, per McMenamin.

James is one of the most physically talented athletes in any sport. He’s never missed more than 13 games in a season and figures to keep playing at an elite level for a long time.

And if James stays healthy, the NBA will await yet another big decision from him in free agency. Retirement? A third spell with Cleveland? Who knows..