Former ESPN reporter Michelle Beadle reveals how LeBron James tried to get her removed from the news company following her criticism of his move to Miami Heat.
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LeBron James is one of the biggest athletes the game has ever seen. Entering the league as a teenager back in 2003, the pressure was at an all-time high for the ‘Chosen One.’ After a few underwhelming seasons in terms of team success in his first few years with the sorry Cavaliers, the 4x Champion decided to announce his new free agency destination with the infamous show “The Decision”.
In fact, LeBron was mostly considered a “good guy” in the league until it all changed when he decided to team with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. The whole thing turned out to be a PR nightmare for The King, who received worldwide criticism for the way he announced his new destination, both from fans and media alike.
In fact, one of those people was former ESPN anchor Michelle Beadle. However, it seems like The King took it personal, reportedly DM’ing the reporter.
Michelle Beadle accuses LeBron James of trying to get her rid from ESPN.
LeBron James is one of the superstars who has mastered the art of handling media. The 18x All-star usually does the performances on the court do the talking. However, on this one particular occasion, it seems like the pressure got to the King, which led to LeBron reportedly personally messaging reporter Michelle Beadle and asking why she was so mean to him. In a recent interview, she reveals details about the same –
I made fun of a decision, and I was one of about a bazillion people that did, and I remember I got a DM, “Why are you mean to me on television? And I sort of laughed it off, didn’t think about it.”
However, it didn’t stop at that. The former ESPN anchor even accused the Lakers star of trying to get her fired from ESPN. She goes on to say –
“He tried, He did try, yup. He did try to do that. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m honored that I’m even on your mind. Thank you very much, sir. That’s a weird place for me to be.’ So, my stuff with him started out not personal. I made fun of ‘The Decision’ like 400,000 other talking heads did at the time, and I think for some reason, that was it. So, it wasn’t personal, to begin with. It’s obvious, now it will always be personal.”
As of now, LeBron hasn’t responded to the accusation. However, don’t be surprised if he does. After all, it’s not like he is busy playing in the playoffs like usual. After the Lakers’ disappointing season and failure to make the playoffs, LeBron does have some time on his hands while chilling in Cancun.
Let’s see how it all plays out. Only time will tell.
