“The Decision” was indeed a turning point in the career of LeBron James, with many perceiving him as a traitor. Feeling betrayed, fans took to the streets to burn his jersey. However, this was a small snippet of what lay ahead. The Miami Heat were now on the radar of all 29 teams.
While James was the poster boy of the hate campaign, the hostility extended to the entire Heat team as well. The power dynamics had shifted to South Beach, making the Heat a common enemy. Every opposing team believed defeating Miami would send out a strong message.
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At the receiving end of massive public outrage, James shared his feelings about the entire situation, particularly the hostile reception they received during away games.
“It was overwhelming for all of us. Every city that we went to, people didn’t like us at all. We had a bullseye on our chest and we wasn’t even champions,” said James.
There was certainly no room for failure, with critics and analysts waiting to strike at James on any given chance.
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First game in Cleveland after Miami signing
Heading into the 2010-11 season, everyone had their calendars marked for Dec. 2. In what was one of the most anticipated events of the year, James returned to Cleveland for the first time since departing for Miami. Bracing himself for the uncertain environment, he was ready.
Making his way out of the tunnel, James was immediately subjected to endless booing. An atmosphere of animosity prevailed, with fans carrying posters that read traitor and various other offensive messages. Nonetheless, LBJ appeared to be unaffected by any of it.
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That said, James would have the last laugh, dropping 38 points on 60 percent efficiency. He also had 5 rebounds and 8 assists. The Heat had a dominant showing, defeating the Cavaliers 118-90. From how things appeared, the four-time MVP had begun embracing his villain tag.
Wade on proving a point to others
The constant scrutiny around James did affect the locker room as well. Every move was being closely monitored, with the media and critics on the continuous lookout for any sign of trouble. Addressing the situation, D-Wade gave his take on the situation.
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“LeBron took a lot of heat. No other sports icon that we know had went through, what he went through. We took on that villain kind of role. In the sense that because for our brother he was the villain, we had to take the same role as him. It kind of took away the joy of the game of basketball for us. It wasn’t as fun because we wanted to prove everybody wrong,” said Wade.
Though the Heat had no apprehensions about having the No. 1 enemy tag, they wanted to prove a point to others. As a result, they ended up failing miserably in their first Finals together. Going into their second year together, James and Co. seemed rejuvenated, soaking up all the jeering and booing from the fans. But, this time around, they were more true to their antagonist character, not looking to prove anything to anyone besides themselves.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.