LeBron James Was Close to Signing for New York Knicks in 2010, But Then What Went Wrong?

The Decision by LeBron James ten years ago raised some serious questions on the star player. But surprisingly, his first choice was the New York Knicks and not the Miami Heat.

Then why did he take ‘The Decision’ that led to so much scrutiny from media and fans?

In 2010, when LeBron entered his free agency period, many franchises were looking to bag him in their roster. The higher chances were of Knicks and Heat at that time.

When LeBron announced on ESPN’s live show that he’ll be joining Heat with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, he faced acute criticism. Knicks fans had already started celebrating James’ arrival before the announcement, and this was a point of disappointment for them.

Well, now it seems like Knicks’ management lost another golden opportunity as a franchise, due to a meeting that Bill Simmons describes as a “disaster.” LeBron’s first pick was the New York Knicks, and solely because of the management he shifted to a meeting with Heat.

Bill Simmons says Knicks meeting with LeBron James was a disaster

It was only a day or two before that the final decision took place. And it was clearly influenced by Wade and Bosh signing on with Miami.

“From everyone I’ve talked to in the know since then, it’s clear that the Knicks were the first choice,” Bill Simmons mentioned on his podcast. “It was basically the Knicks’ to lose, and they just couldn’t stay out of their own way. The stories are legendary.

“Dolan was Dolan. They didn’t have anything prepared. It just couldn’t have gone worse by all accounts. It was a disaster. I think at that point, combined with the decade the Knicks just had, I think those guys were just like ‘f–k it,'” Simmons added.

The Knicks were making cap space since two years to get hold of a huge free agent like LeBron. This may continue to be the biggest regret that they will hold as a franchise. Moreover, they planned on overpaying Amar’e Stoudemire, despite his knee injuries.

The team’s free agency plans went for a toss that year. It was only a year later that they signed the big man, Carmelo Anthony, to better their team dynamics.

If the Knicks hadn’t created a mess out of their opportunity, this decade would have been different for LeBron James and the league.