mobile app bar

“I was going to tear the Cavaliers’ a** up”: LeBron James reveals his mindset going into his first game back home and different narratives that surrounded him in 2010

Samir Mehdi
Published

“I was going to tear the Cavaliers’ a** up”: LeBron James reveals his mindset going into his first game back home and different narratives that surrounded him in 2010

LeBron James circled the date that he was first back in Cleveland after leaving for the Miami Heat and was determined to annihilate the Cavaliers. 

Up until the summer of 2010, LeBron James had a character arc that revolved around him, more or less, being the hero. He had dragged a well below average squad to the NBA Finals while winning them 66 games in the regular season and had achieved greatness while the best teammate he had had over a seven year period was Zydrunas Ilgauskas. 

Similar to what happened to Kevin Durant in 2016, one decision made LeBron James the most hated athlete in the NBA. His decision to take his talents to South Beach left the Cleveland Cavaliers in shambles and had the rest of the league fuming over how a superstar as ‘perfect’ as James could go chase rings.

Also read: “Shaquille O’Neal, this is Mama Barkley and y’all cut that sh*t out!”: When Charles Barkley’s mom hilariously scolded the Lakers legend for fighting with the Rockets superstar

James was hit with an incredible amount of criticism throughout his 4-year tenure in Miami, with the hate dying down in the latter years. However, nothing compares to the things that were being said about the 2x MVP at the time, in the 2010-11 season. 

LeBron James talks about his mindset going into his first game back to Cleveland and the different narratives surrounding him at the time. 

Forming a superteam in order to chase rings will never have a majority of NBA fans on your side. What happened to LeBron James happened to KD as well, so much so that people still believe Durant’s two rings with the Warriors don’t count due to how easy it was for him to claim them. 

“So many different narratives of who I am were being portrayed and I wasn’t that person. I sort of became that person because I was like, ‘F**k it, if they’re going to make me be that person, might as well wear the black hat.’” 

“I was kind of waiting for that moment when the schedule came out and I see when I was making my return. My mindset going into the game was, ‘I’m going to tear their a** up.’ I’ll never forget that day: December 2nd 2010.”

Also read: “Would’ve had 40 points and 5 blocks on the tallest man in human history”: When Shaquille O’Neal hilariously boasted about hypothetically dominating against a 9-footer

It’s safe to say that LeBron James relished being the villain for a while as he stomped all over the Cleveland Cavaliers on that date, scoring 38 points in a blowout, 118-90 victory over his former team. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

instagram-icon

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

Share this article