LeBron James turned down trade that would have changed NBA history after owner was banned for life
LeBron James rejected a historic NBA trade because he did not want to play under a disgraced owner who was later banned for life.
James, now 40, is still with the Los Angeles Lakers - having made the move in 2018.
But 'King', the highest point-scorer in the history of the NBA, could have been turning out for the Los Angeles Clippers had things played out differently.
Back in 2010, James joined the Miami Heat as a free agent after seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Advert
The move was confirmed in an infamous TV special titled 'The Decision' and 30 minutes into the show, James revealed: "In this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.
"I feel like it's going to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years, and not only just to win in the regular season or just to win five games in a row or three games in a row, I want to be able to win championships. And I feel like I can compete down there."
He linked up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh but according to billionaire businessmen David Geffen, James had contemplated joining the Clippers instead of the Heat.
Geffen, who put together a bid to buy the Clippers alongside Oprah Winfrey, told Jeremy Schaap of ESPN that the reasons why James didn't make the move "are perfectly clear" - hinting at history of racism on the part of owner Donald Sterling being the key factor.
Why did Clippers owner receive a lifetime ban?
Four years later, with James at Heat, Sterling was heard making racist remarks on audio recordings which were made public.
And James, who is passionate about social issues as well as being an NBA great, called for Sterling's head.
"We're fighting to get an owner out of our league who shouldn't be a part of our league," James said, as per ESPN.
"No matter how long it takes, no matter how much money it costs, we need to get him out of there - and whoever is associated with him doesn't belong in our league."
The 91-year-old was hit with a lifetime ban by the NBA, announced by commissioner Adam Silver.
He also recommended to the NBA board of governors to force Sterling to sell the Clippers, which he eventually did in August 2014.
The Clippers were bought for $2 billion by Steve Ballmer and the 69-year-old remains at the helm.
James returned to the Cavs after four seasons and then spent another four before moving to LA with the Lakers, where he won his most recent NBA championship in 2020.
He opted into the final year of his contract with the Lakers and will become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons.
Topics: Lebron James
Josh Lawless