One year after LeBron James decided to leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Heat, his decision "has left a lasting impact on himself, his former franchise and even the rest of the NBA," according to Jason Lloyd of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. The Heat had the "highest road attendance in the league last season, averaging 19,447 fans due in large part to James," who became "the villain" after announcing his intention to sign with the Heat during his hour-long "The Decision" special on ESPN. Still, "slowly but surely, his image is on the rebound." In addition, Lloyd notes the Nuggets traded F Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks, the Jazz traded G Deron Williams to the Nets and the "league is locked out." James "has played at least a small role in all three scenarios." The ongoing lockout is "centered mostly on money, but one of the issues is a team’s ability to keep its stars" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 7/8). In Ft. Lauderdale, Ira Winderman noted "The Decision," at least "at this moment, continues to resonate, 12 months later, across the NBA landscape." An NBA team exec this week said, "It was probably landscape-altering in the way it was manipulated by the players, more than one player manipulating the situation to come up with a team" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/7). In K.C., Pete Grathoff writes, "The NBA lockout may be a good time for him to get out of the spotlight. When basketball returns, maybe James will be contrite and show he's ready to work hard to win a championship" (K.C. STAR, 7/8).
LEAGUE BENEFITTED FROM DECISION: ESPN’s Skip Bayless said “The Decision” was a "great day for the NBA." Bayless: "Number one, it electrified TV ratings all of last season. It was far more of a ‘turn it on’ for a lot of on-the-fence, casual fans than it was a ‘turn it off’ for a lot of longtime fans who were initially offended by this. ... That was great for the league" ("First Take,” ESPN2, 7/8). In West Palm Beach, Ethan Skolnick writes, "James gave even the most casual fans a cause, a reason to care, to follow the season and all the corresponding controversies. They wanted to learn if this LeBron character would get what was coming to him, as so many soap opera scoundrels eventually do. With James as a heel, interest kicked up considerably in the NBA" (PALM BEACH POST, 7/8).
FOR A GOOD CAUSE: In L.A., Jerry Crowe notes "The Decision" was a "lucrative shot in the arm for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America." James donated "all proceeds from the one-hour ESPN special to the organization -- a gift worth" about $3M. Boys & Girls Clubs spokesperson Frank Sanchez on Thursday said, "His support has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. He may have come up a couple of games short of one of his goals, but he's a champion in our minds" (L.A. TIMES, 7/8).
TAKING A LOOK BACK: On Thursday, THE DAILY offered a comprehensive recap of the extensive media coverage around James' announcement last July. His choice to join the Heat, and "The Decision" in particular, sparked a media frenzy about James' marketability, ESPN's coverage, Jim Gray's interviewing and Dan Gilbert's scathing letter. Take a look at the full coverage.
