Free agent superstar LeBron James will bring his two NBA championships and four NBA MVPs back to Cleveland, almost four years to the day after he decided to bring his talents to Miami.
James made the announcement in an article with Sports Illustrated Friday.
Heat owner Mickey Arison tweeted his disappointment in the decision Friday afternoon.
The heartbreaking news for Heat fans came after a Wednesday full of movement from the Cavaliers. The team cleared out more than $20 million in salary cap space to offer LeBron a full max contract of between $88 million and $118 million, depending on whether the Heat and Cavaliers exchange James on a sign-and-trade or he simply leaves Miami with no compensation from the Cavs.
The loss of LeBron is a devastating blow to a team that went to the NBA Finals for four straight seasons from 2010 to 2014, winning back-to-back championships during that run.
It’s hard to overstate James' value in Miami for the past four seasons. From the court to the tourism industry, James has been one of the biggest draws to South Florida outside of South Beach itself.
James has averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game since joining the Heat. He took over the team's leadership after the Heat lost the first NBA Finals with the Big Three and ran off two straight NBA championships before losing this year to the San Antonio Spurs.
LeBron took on more of the load in Miami, but he also elevated his game. He won MVP awards and NBA Finals MVP awards, and he was arguably the defensive player of the year for at least two of those seasons.
The Heat deployed James all over the court, having him guard any player on the other team’s roster. LeBron also elevated his post play while with the Heat, letting Miami play a smaller, quicker lineup that ended up abusing NBA opponents for two seasons.
