Earlier today, LeBron James took fans on a trip down memory lane, recalling one of his most iconic performances from 13 years ago. This game held special significance for ‘The Akron Hammer’ as it silenced his critics- most notably, Otis Smith, the then-GM of the Magic, who had publicly criticized James for joining the other Sunshine State franchise in 2010.
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During James’ first matchup against the Magic as a Heat player, he scored 51 points and secured the win. Taking to his Instagram Stories, he re-shared a reel posted by @lbjhistory from his game against Magic in 2011 and captioned it “Competitior [competitor] that 50 piece.” This way he was letting people know what happens when they talk too much smack about The King.
Bron still hasn't forgotten the way Orlando Magic's GM had disrespected him for joining Miami Heat pic.twitter.com/maK34tNyvG
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) August 28, 2024
Many were critical of James for ‘The Decision’ in 2010. However, not many General Managers thought of airing out their displeasure with the media. A day after LeBron announced his move, Otis Smith shared,
“I was surprised that he went [to Miami]… I thought he was, I guess, more of a competitor.“
Smith expected James to want to win on his own team, against the modern greats like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Dwight Howard.
“The great ones do and usually stay in one location… This is a new era. It’s a little different than my time.“
Smith was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1986 and played in the league until 1993. In 1989, he was one of the 12 players selected by the Orlando Magic during their expansion draft. Maybe this was why he took more offense to James joining the other side in Florida. Maybe he also knew that the Magic’s 2009 Finals run would be much harder to replicate with the Big 3 in their conference.
Nonetheless, Smith’s choice to air that out to the media led to an electrifying vendetta game from The King. On February 3rd, 2011, the Orlando Magic hosted the Miami Heat for their first matchup of the season. And LeBron James came out swinging, making his first 11 shots.
By the end of the 1st quarter, he already had 23 points in the bag. In the 3rd, Miami had put a 16-point gap between themselves and the Magic. LeBron sat out the start of the 4th until the Magic began a comeback.
Then, James checked back in and knocked down a vital 3-pointer and some important free throws to secure the 104-100 win for the Heat.
King James ended the night with 11 rebounds, 8 assists, a steal, and a block to go along with his 51 points. Incredibly, he made 17/25 field goals, 3/5 3-pointers, and 14/17 free throws. To Otis Smith, it should have signaled that this indeed was a new era.
