“Nah, it wasn’t Kevin Durant. It was LeBron James going to Miami that ruined basketball!”: Former Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert opens up about his views on Lakers superstar’s infamous decision to switch to the Heat back in 2010

Akash Murty | 22/12/2021
"Nah, it wasn’t Kevin Durant. It was LeBron James going to Miami that he ruined basketball!": Former Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert opens up about his views on Lakers superstar's infamous decision to switch to the Heat back in 2010

Former teammate Iman Shumpert puts shade on LeBron James for ruining the game of basketball with his infamous decision to move to Miami Heat.

Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert is one of the most outspoken basketball players out there. Shumpert recently talked very candidly about how LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat ruined the game of basketball.

After getting frustrated with dragging the Cleveland Cavaliers through the Eastern Conference for 8 years, not getting any support from the management or front office, LeBron James took the matter into his hands. As a free agent, he joined the Miami Heat back in 2010.

Also Read: “Once Stephen Curry began making it, Ty Lue was like ‘What we doing now?’”: Iman Shumpert reveals the Cavs’ locker room mentality during their Finals battles with the Warriors

And according to Shumpert, LeBron “ruined the game of basketball” by joining the Heat. The man has his notions on why he feels that way, and he talked about it on The Bootleg Kev podcast.

Iman Shumpert believes LeBron James ruined the game of basketball

Whether you appreciate it or not, LeBron James sure did change the dynamic of the NBA with his infamous decision. He showed the way one can dictate their free agency however they want to. But Shumpert believes otherwise. When the host of the show Kev suggested that Kevin Durant’s move to the Warriors started it all, Iman interrupted,

“Nah, it wasn’t KD,” Shumpert said.“It was Bron first going to Miami. Bron knows he ruined basketball. He thought he was making it better, I get it.. Me personally, I love the NBA for the loyalty that, I thought, was there. He basically knocked the fourth wall down. … He wasn’t supposed to do that.”

There are different ways to see it. Many retired veterans are still sick to their stomach, with how they were treated by the franchises with whom they were loyal for the largest part of their careers. Some keep loyalty above everything, but most of them who do are compensated in some or the other major way.

While LeBron came back to Cleveland Cavaliers again in 2014 free agency, Shumpert joined him there in 2015. He helped James win his first championship with the franchise that drafted him back in 2003. LeBron would later go on to join the LA Lakers in free agency and win another championship.

Shumpert continued, “Great business move for sure. But when you think about it outside looking in, I got people tweeting me, they’re literally talking about owners and trade.”

He even responded to some tweets.

Also Read: “I’m really getting hit, they can’t see it cause I’m so strong”: Iman Shumpert reveals the reason behind LeBron James flopping during games

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
cleveland cavaliers iman shumpert LeBron James Miami Heat

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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