Basketball

“LeBron James derailed Cavs’ 2010-11 season with his comeback”: How GOAT contender sent his former team on their way to an all-time losing streak

Arjun Julka
|PublishedJul 03, 2021

"LeBron James derailed Cavs' 2010-11 season with his comeback": How GOAT contender sent his former team on their way to an all-time losing streak

LeBron James’ first appearance in Cleveland after he signed with the Miami Heat was one of the most controversial matches in NBA history.

King James played 7 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted him as the 1st pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, before taking his talents to south beach.

The Cavaliers had a successful stint with James, who led the team to the 2007 NBA Finals. The Cavs also had the best record in the NBA for the next two consecutive seasons as well. The 4x NBA champion also won his first 2 regular-season MVPs with the Cavaliers.

Some of his other accolades with the team include Rookie Of The Year, 2008 scoring champion, 2x All-Star MVP, and multiple All-NBA First team selections.

During the 2010-11 off-season, James made one of the biggest moves in league history when he signed with the Miami Heat. This move changed the entire landscape of the NBA.

Also Read: “Bronny get open and get a bucket!”: LeBron James coaches up his son from the sidelines as he watches him miss the game-winner

The 17x NBA All-Star’s televised decision to sign with the Miami Heat was met with heavy criticism. The King was at the wrath of many NBA fans, who felt cheated by his move to the Miami Heat.

LeBron James’ first appearance at Cleveland in a Heat jersey

There is no denying that James’ first appearance in Cleveland since his signing with the Heat was met with some heavy booing and disrespectful remarks by the Cavs fans.

“Oh my God. There was so much hype into that game,” former Cavs forward Antawn Jamison said, “You had a lot of young guys (saying), ‘King coming back, we’re going to show him.’ We were just as hyped for the game as LeBron was.”

The Cavs were clearly motivated to beat the Heat and make a statement that they could win without King James. The night seemed odd for the 4x NBA Finals MVP as well, who was clearly the center of attention that night.

Nevertheless, the Heat defeated the Cavs dominantly, with James having a terrific performance as he notched a 38-points performance on 15-of-25 shooting.

The following loss was the beginning of a slump for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who would go on a 36-games losing streak.

What Antawn Jamison said about this slump, and how they recovered from it

Cavs forwards Jamison was quoted saying, “That night really set us back for a good 15-20 games, after that game, it went downhill. That game sent us down in a tailspin and we never recuperated.”

James later discussed his return to Cleveland while talking to ESPN in 2018:

“It was something that nobody had ever seen before, Everybody knew the emotions behind it. Cable television made sure that they captured every moment.”

“It was an eerie feeling, just going back. It was an uncomfortable feeling going back because of the situation. And I knew how up in bunches everybody was.”

“Once I hit the court in warmups, you could hear the boos. It was probably the loudest I’ve ever heard boos in my life. I felt the animosity. I felt the scrutiny. But once the ball was tipped, I’m in my haven.”

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However, things changed dramatically when James returned to Cleveland in 2014 in a quest to win the city a championship and end their 52-year old drought.

James would fulfill his promise to the city of Cleveland as they would win the 2016 NBA championship with King James being crowned Finals MVP.

The 2016 finals are to date regarded as one of the best Finals in NBA history as James and co pulled off a herculean task of overcoming a 3-1 deficit, which had never been done before in the NBA Finals history.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.