LeBron James received so much hate for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers that NBA fans weren’t allowed to ‘hate’ on him inside arenas.
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Coming into the NBA as ‘The Chosen One’, LeBron James was the prodigal son Cleveland needed to carry them forth after a horrendous losing season. In merely his sophomore season, LeBron James made an All-NBA team right after winning Rookie of the Year the season before.
In just his fourth season in the NBA, LeBron carried a lackluster Cleveland Cavaliers team to the NBA Finals and faced off against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs swept them but not without Tim Duncan telling the young James that the league was his to take over very soon.
LeBron James would have grueling battles against teams like the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic in his final years with the Cavs all while winning two straight MVPs in 2009 and ‘10. However, after a disheartening loss to the Celts in 6 games in the ECSF in 2010, ‘The King’ had had enough.
‘The Decision’ soon aired over the summer of 2010 and saw James leave Cleveland for South Beach, a move that left Cavs in disarray for years on end.
LeBron James isn’t allowed to receive an inordinate amount of hate in arenas.
Everything from burning his jersey to calling him derogatory names, Cleveland Cavaliers fans were beyond furious with the Akron, Ohio native leaving them for a big market team like the Miami Heat. Joining forces with two All-NBA talents in Wade and Bosh to form a super-team wasn’t helping James’s cause either.
LeBron James had entered the ‘villain arc’ of his career and for several years, was treated with an incredible level of hostility when playing against the Cavs. So much so that the NBA had to put a ban on fans wearing t-shirts that had some pretty foul things written on them [at the 9:30 minute mark].
Whether it was a simple yet unnecessary ‘F LeBron’ shirt or one that crossed the line by pointing towards rumors of his mother having been involved with his teammate, Delonte West, the league put a stop to it.
This ban isn’t limited to just LeBron James however as the NBA expects fans to behave in a respectable manner when rooting against a visiting team. Kyrie’s trips to Boston or Westbrook’s spats with Jazz fans are incidents that should be avoided for a healthier relationship between players and fans.
