LeBron James has revealed his main motivations behind his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat in 2010 – but insists he was destined for greatness regardless of whether he went to South Beach or not.
James has entered his 21st season in the NBA as he looks to help guide the Los Angeles Lakers to another title. The 38-year-old has won four championships across his illustrious career, two of which came during his time in Miami.
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The Cavs drafted James with the first overall pick during the 2003 NBA Draft at the age of 19 from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. His departure in 2010 to sign for the Heat marked the first time that he had left his home state in his career.
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James is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to play in the NBA. The 19-time All-Star has won a championship with every team he has played for, two with the Heat and one each with the Cavs and the Lakers.
Monday night saw James back in Miami as he and the Lakers faced the Heat at Kaseya Center. James was on the losing team as the Heat recorded a 108-107 victory over the Lakers in Florida.
James explained why he decided to leave the Cavs and join the Heat nearly a decade ago, and why it was not to play merely to alongside NBA greats Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The 38-year-old said that winning the first championship of his career was his main motivation.
“I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to win championships,” James told reporters on Monday, via ESPN. “That was my only goal. That was the only reason I teamed up with [Dwyane] Wade and [Chris] Bosh. Because I felt like I couldn’t do it in Cleveland.
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“We couldn’t – I tried to recruit guys to come to Cleveland. I tried to go and help the upstairs and it wasn’t happening. So I had an opportunity to be a free agent so I did what I thought was best, not only for my career but for me at that point in time.”
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The four-time MVP spent four years with the Heat from 2010-14 before he returned to Cleveland. James spoke about how his time in Miami influenced his career which has now stretched into a third decade.
“I think I would still be at this level no matter if I would’ve came here or not,” said James. “Let’s not get it twisted: The four years I was here, it was amazing. I loved everything about it. Loved this franchise, this franchise is top tier, it’s one of the best franchises in the world.
“But as far as my career, my career was going to be my career as far as individually, because I know how much I put into the game and I know how much I strived to be as great as I can be. [But] as far as what I was able to learn here was second to none, that’s for sure.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
